An unlock cliff is a date on which a batch of previously locked or vested tokens becomes available all at once, rather than releasing gradually. Before the cliff nothing releases; at the timestamp the whole tranche is claimable. The exact date is on-chain from creation.
The shape matters more than the size. Say a team locks a tranche with a twelve-month cliff and no linear release after it: for a year the on-chain balance does not move at all, and then the entire tranche is withdrawable in a single block. A schedule with a short cliff followed by monthly releases produces many small events instead of one large one. Same total, very different supply picture on the day.
A cliff is a date, not a prediction. Nothing forces the holder to sell when it passes, and nothing stops them.
Token pages show a countdown to the next release timestamp, read from the lock or vesting contract rather than from an announcement. Unlocks this week lists the —pending releases due in the next seven days across the chain.
For what actually happens at the timestamp, read what happens when a lock expires; for how to think about the window beforehand, extend, exit, or hold. The underlying mechanism is the liquidity lock.
Frequently asked questions
Is an unlock cliff the same as a vesting schedule?
A cliff is one component of a schedule, not the whole thing. The schedule describes everything: how much, to whom, over what period. The cliff is the date before which nothing at all is released. A schedule can have a cliff then linear releases, a cliff and nothing else, or no cliff and steady release from day one.
What happens when a liquidity lock expires
What happens when a liquidity lock expires on Robinhood Chain: nothing automatic — the pool position simply becomes withdrawable by whoever owns it.
Read nextWhat to do when a token unlock is coming
What to do when a token unlock is coming on Robinhood Chain: establish which lock is expiring, what share it covers and when, then weigh three options.
See it liveWhat happens when a liquidity lock expires
What happens when a liquidity lock expires on Robinhood Chain: nothing automatic — the pool position simply becomes withdrawable by whoever owns it.
