Unlocked Supply
Unlocked supply is the total number of tokens that have cleared their vesting or lock period and are available for withdrawal. It includes tokens still held in vesting contracts that haven't been claimed yet, making it always greater than or equal to claimed supply.
TradFi parallel — Like fully vested stock options that the employee hasn't exercised yet — the restriction period is over and the shares are available, but they remain in the option plan until the holder decides to convert them.
Key Takeaways
- 01Unlocked supply includes all tokens past their vesting period, whether or not beneficiaries have withdrawn them to their wallets
- 02Always greater than or equal to claimed supply — the difference reveals tokens available but not yet claimed on-chain
- 03Displayed on the Released Progress bar as a percentage of total supply alongside claimed supply
- 04The gap between unlocked and claimed supply is a behavioral indicator: widening gap suggests deferred selling, narrowing gap signals active claiming
- 05A token's unlocked supply percentage reveals how much vesting-related dilution remains ahead for holders
How It Works
Unlocked supply represents the cumulative total of tokens whose time-based restrictions have expired. On Tokenomist's Released Progress bar, it appears as a distinct metric alongside claimed supply, providing a comprehensive view of a token's distribution lifecycle. The critical distinction is that unlocked does not mean distributed — tokens can be unlocked but still sitting in a vesting contract, multisig wallet, or distribution mechanism awaiting withdrawal.
This nuance matters because unlocked supply represents the maximum potential sell-side pressure at any given moment. Every unlocked token is eligible to enter the open market, but only claimed tokens have actually moved to beneficiary wallets. The gap between unlocked and claimed supply is a leading indicator: a widening gap suggests beneficiaries are deferring withdrawals (potentially bullish — they're not rushing to sell), while a narrowing gap indicates active claiming that often precedes market selling.
On the Released Progress bar, unlocked supply is always shown relative to total supply, giving you a percentage view of how far the token has progressed through its overall distribution schedule. A token with 80% unlocked supply has a fundamentally different risk profile than one with 20% unlocked — the former has already absorbed most of its vesting-related sell pressure, while the latter faces years of dilution ahead. Tokenomist's Supply Analytics tracks this progression in real time across all covered tokens.
Real World Examples
Hyperliquid Foundation Unlocked Allocation
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Hyperliquid's foundation allocation shows a growing unlocked supply as vesting tranches complete. The Released Progress bar reveals what percentage of HYPE's total supply is now past its lock period, helping investors assess remaining dilution risk from future unlocks.
Arbitrum Investor Unlocked vs Claimed Gap
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Arbitrum's investor allocations show a measurable gap between unlocked and claimed supply. This gap indicates that some investors have unlocked ARB tokens but haven't withdrawn them from the vesting contract — a data point tracked on the Released Progress bar that institutional analysts monitor for sell-side signals.
Optimism Team Vesting Unlocked Milestones
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Optimism's team allocation passes periodic unlocked supply milestones as multi-year vesting schedules progress. Each milestone increases the unlocked percentage on the Released Progress bar, with the market closely watching whether team members claim promptly or defer withdrawals.
Polygon Ecosystem Treasury Unlock Progression
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Polygon's ecosystem treasury has a large allocation that unlocks gradually over years. The unlocked supply metric on the Released Progress bar shows the slow but steady progression of treasury tokens becoming available, informing long-term supply models for MATIC holders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between unlocked supply and circulating supply?
Unlocked supply measures tokens past their vesting period, including those still in contracts. Circulating supply measures tokens actively available in the market. Unlocked supply is typically larger than circulating supply because it includes unclaimed tokens and may include tokens held by insiders who haven't sold.
Why is unlocked supply always greater than or equal to claimed supply?
Claimed supply is a subset of unlocked supply. A token must first be unlocked (vesting period complete) before it can be claimed (withdrawn on-chain). Some unlocked tokens remain in vesting contracts until the beneficiary initiates a withdrawal transaction, creating the gap between the two metrics.
Does a high unlocked supply percentage mean sell pressure is over?
Not necessarily, but it does mean most vesting-related dilution has already occurred. A token with 90% unlocked supply has less future dilution from vesting than one with 30% unlocked. However, unlocked tokens that haven't been claimed could still enter the market at any time, so the unlocked-to-claimed gap remains relevant.
Where can I see unlocked supply on Tokenomist?
Unlocked supply appears on the Released Progress bar on each token's detail page, showing it as a percentage of total supply. The Supply Analytics section provides additional granularity, breaking down which allocations have been unlocked and tracking the progression over time.
Related Terms
Track on Tokenomist
Supply-side analysis for educational purposes. Not financial advice. Verify assumption and precision labels on the relevant token page.