Release Percentage
The percentage of supply that a specific unlock event or upcoming claim represents. For Whitepaper status tokens it is calculated against released supply; for Committed or Completed tokens it is calculated against tracked supply excluding burns.
TradFi parallel — Like expressing a secondary stock offering as a percentage of the existing public float — it tells you how much the tradable share count will expand relative to what is already available.
Key Takeaways
- 01Release Percentage normalizes unlock size against supply, enabling apples-to-apples comparison of unlock impact across tokens with different total supplies
- 02For Whitepaper status tokens, the denominator is released supply; for Committed/Completed tokens, it is tracked supply excluding burns
- 03Appears as 'Release %' in the Unlock Events table and 'Release Percentage' in the Supply Analytics Claim table
- 04Higher Release Percentage values indicate greater relative dilution and typically correlate with stronger sell-side pressure on the unlock date
- 05Sorting by Release Percentage across a screener view surfaces the most impactful upcoming events regardless of absolute dollar value
How It Works
Release Percentage is a column displayed in both the Unlock Events table (labeled "Release %") and the Supply Analytics Claim table (labeled "Release Percentage") on Tokenomist. It normalizes the size of each unlock event against the relevant supply denominator, giving investors a standardized way to compare the impact of unlocks across different tokens regardless of absolute token count or dollar value.
The denominator changes depending on a token's tracking status. For tokens with Whitepaper status — where Tokenomist models the vesting schedule from published documentation — Release Percentage is calculated as a fraction of the token's released supply. For tokens with Committed or Completed status — where vesting data is verified against on-chain contracts — the denominator is tracked supply excluding burned tokens, providing a more precise measure that accounts for permanent supply reductions.
This distinction matters because the same absolute token quantity can represent vastly different market impacts depending on how much supply is already circulating. A 50 million token unlock on a project with 500 million released supply (10% Release Percentage) carries far more dilutive force than the same quantity on a project with 5 billion released supply (1%). By sorting the Unlock Events table by Release Percentage, traders can quickly identify the events with the highest relative supply impact across the entire tracked universe.
Real World Examples
Hyperliquid Community Distribution Release %
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Hyperliquid's community distribution events show varying Release Percentage values depending on the tranche size relative to HYPE's released supply. Larger community tranches display higher Release % values in the Unlock Events table, signaling greater potential supply impact.
Small-Cap Token with High Release Percentage
Newer tokens with limited circulating supply often show Release Percentage values exceeding 5-10% for a single cliff event. These high-percentage unlocks are disproportionately impactful because the existing float is thin, meaning even moderate selling can move the price significantly.
Bitcoin-Scale Token with Low Release Percentage
Mature tokens with large circulating supplies — such as established Layer 1 networks — typically show Release Percentage values under 0.5% per event. While the absolute dollar value may be large, the relative supply expansion is minimal, and the market absorbs these unlocks with less volatility.
Burn-Adjusted Release Percentage on Committed Tokens
For tokens with significant burn history (e.g., BNB or SHIB), the Committed/Completed status calculation excludes burned tokens from the denominator. This produces a slightly higher Release Percentage than a raw supply calculation would, more accurately reflecting the dilutive impact on the actual tradable supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Release Percentage use different denominators for Whitepaper vs. Committed tokens?
Whitepaper status tokens have vesting schedules modeled from published documentation, so released supply is the best available denominator. Committed and Completed tokens have on-chain verified data, enabling a more precise denominator: tracked supply minus burned tokens. The burn exclusion ensures the percentage reflects dilution against actually tradable supply rather than supply that has been permanently destroyed.
Is a higher Release Percentage always bearish?
Not necessarily. A high Release Percentage indicates significant relative supply expansion, but the price impact depends on who receives the tokens and their likely behavior. Ecosystem grants distributed to active builders may not be sold immediately, while investor unlocks with high Release Percentage values tend to see faster distribution into the market.
How can I use Release Percentage to compare unlocks across different tokens?
Sort the Unlock Events table or Emission Screener by Release Percentage to rank upcoming events by relative supply impact. This normalization lets you compare a 2% unlock on a $100M market cap token against a 0.1% unlock on a $10B token — the percentage tells you which event represents a larger proportional supply shock to its respective market.
Where do I find Release Percentage on Tokenomist?
Release Percentage appears in two places: the Unlock Events tab (as 'Release %' column) for individual cliff and vesting events, and the Supply Analytics Claim table (as 'Release Percentage' column) for upcoming on-chain claim data. Both views are accessible from any token's detail page on Tokenomist.
Related Terms
Track on Tokenomist
Supply-side analysis for educational purposes. Not financial advice. Verify assumption and precision labels on the relevant token page.