An independent examiner has revealed shocking details surrounding the inner workings of Celsius – a crypto lender that filed for bankruptcy in July 2022. The examiner claimed that Celsius did not operate by the business model that it presented to customers. He likened it to a Ponzi scheme, much like FTX – a company that happened to have used the same accounting software: QuickBooks. The Truth About CEL Token Per a filing from examiner Shoba Pillay on Tuesday, Celsius had…
What Is Token Vesting?
Token vesting is a process by which the distribution of tokens is delayed over a certain period. This is often used to align the interests of token holders with those of the project by ensuring that the individuals or entities granted tokens are incentivized to work toward the project’s long-term success.
A practical example of token vesting would be a startup issuing tokens to its employees. Instead of allowing the employees to sell their tokens on the open market immediately, the startup could implement a vesting schedule where the employees could only access and sell a certain percentage of their tokens each month over two years. This would ensure that the employees are incentivized to stay with the company and work towards its success rather than simply cashing out their tokens as soon as they are granted.
How Does Token Vesting Work?
Token vesting is typically achieved through the use of smart contracts. A token vesting smart contract can be programmed to release a certain percentage of tokens to the holders at specific intervals, such as every month or every quarter, over some time. The smart contract can also be set to release the tokens based on certain conditions, such as the completion of a specific milestone or the achievement of certain performance targets.
When the tokens are released, they can be transferred to the holders’ wallets. Once the tokens are in the holder’s wallet, they can be traded on an exchange, used for a specific purpose, or held as a long-term investment.
Some projects use a centralized approach to handle the token vesting, where the tokens are held in escrow by the project’s team, and they release the tokens to the holders based on the agreed schedule and conditions.
Token Vesting Benefits and Drawbacks
Benefits of token vesting include:
- Alignment of incentives: Token vesting helps to align the interests of token holders with those of the project by ensuring that individuals or entities who are granted tokens have a vested interest in the project’s long-term success.
- Reduced volatility: Token vesting can help to reduce volatility in the value of the tokens by preventing large amounts of tokens from hitting the market at once.
- Reduced risk of fraud: Token vesting can help reduce the risk of fraud by ensuring that individuals or entities who are granted tokens have a vested interest in the project’s success and therefore have less incentive to engage in fraudulent behavior.
- Increased trust: Token vesting can increase trust in a project, as it demonstrates a commitment to long-term success and a willingness to align the interests of all stakeholders.
Drawbacks of token vesting include:
- Complexity: Token vesting can be complex to implement and manage, particularly for projects with large numbers of token holders.
- Reduced liquidity: Token vesting can reduce liquidity in the market, as tokens are not immediately available for trading.
- Reduced flexibility: Token vesting can reduce token holders’ flexibility, as they cannot immediately access and trade their tokens.
- The reduced incentive for early adopters: Token vesting can reduce the incentive for early adopters to get involved in a project, as they may need more time to access and trade their tokens.
Token Vesting vs. Token Lockup
Token vesting and token lockup are similar but slightly different concepts.
Token vesting refers to the process of releasing tokens to holders over some time. The tokens are not immediately available for trading, and the process is designed to align the interests of token holders with those of the project by ensuring that individuals or entities who are granted tokens have a vested interest in the long-term success of the project.
Token lockup, on the other hand, refers to preventing tokens from being traded or used for a certain period. Token lockup is typically used to prevent the dumping of tokens on the market, which can cause the value of the tokens to drop. Token lockup can also prevent insider trading by preventing early investors or team members from selling their tokens before a certain date.
In summary, Token Vesting is a schedule of releasing tokens to the holders over time. Token lockup is a restriction on the trading or usage of tokens for a certain period. Both aim to align the interests of token holders with those of the project.
Conclusion
Token vesting is achieved by using smart contracts. These smart contracts can be programmed to release a certain percentage of tokens to holders at specific intervals or based on certain conditions.