All terms
The moment previously locked tokens become sellable.
An unlock is a scheduled increase in circulating supply. Team, investor or treasury tokens that were locked become transferable, and some portion of them typically reaches the market.
Unlocks are public information, which means they are usually priced in ahead of time rather than on the day. That does not make them harmless. Large unlocks into thin liquidity move price regardless of how well telegraphed they were.
Before buying anything with a locked allocation, find the unlock schedule and know what is coming and when. It is the most predictable supply event in crypto and the one people most often ignore.
A treasury lock expiring on a known date, with the holder announcing in advance what proportion will be burned rather than sold.
That the unlock date is when the price moves. Everybody can read the same schedule, so much of the effect arrives beforehand. The date itself is often quieter than the weeks in front of it.
Common questions
Does a token always fall on an unlock?
Where do I check unlock dates?
Where this comes up on the site
The guides that actually use this word, rather than a list of everything we have written.
Where to go next
More trading terms
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