Why vesting events stress markets
Unlocks compress supply, attention, and risk into narrow windows. If the order book lacks depth where traders actually transact, even modest selling can create outsized moves, trigger panic, and inflate support costs. A calm unlock is not luck—it’s prepared liquidity provisioning that keeps execution fair while the market absorbs new float.
Objectives of a no-drama unlock
The goal is simple: protect credible price discovery while newly circulating tokens change hands. That means two-sided books, disciplined spreads, and depth by bands that can absorb expected flow without signaling “infinite support.” The program should minimize treasury burn, avoid staged optics, and leave the chart looking investable after the event.
Build your playbook around the curve you control
Start with a precise view of circulating supply through the unlock window. Map expected seller cohorts (team, investors, ecosystem grants) to a time profile rather than a single moment. Convert that curve into depth targets near and mid bands and define the maximum daily support you are willing to deploy. When the curve shifts—as it often does—adjust depth, not the narrative.
Design depth, then defend spreads
Healthy unlocks feel ordinary in the tape. That happens when resting liquidity is placed where flow concentrates and spreads remain inside pre-agreed corridors. If bands thin during bursts, support should escalate briefly and de-escalate as soon as conditions normalize. The aim is to prevent air pockets, not to fight every tick.
Stage supply; don’t dump or dam
Large holders need clear rails. Offer structured windows, price-sensitive programs, or smart buy-back mechanics that let sellers exit without overwhelming the book. Equally, avoid building a visible wall that invites “sell into support.” A measured, rules-based path outperforms emotional one-offs.
Cross-venue coherence matters
Unlocks fail when venues tell different stories. Coordinate CEX depth and DeFi ranges so prices don’t drift apart. If a venue behaves poorly, lower sensitivity there and avoid teaching the wrong reference price. Coherence reduces arbitrage noise and keeps spreads predictable across the ecosystem.
Communication that calms, not excites
Publish the facts early: unlock schedule, circulating supply path, and a short note on liquidity engineering principles (fair execution, two-sided books, spread discipline). During the window, provide brief status updates only when they help participants act with confidence. Traders want predictability, not play-by-play.
Measure what investors actually trust
Screenshots are not reporting. After the event, summarize realized spread, depth by band, slippage for standard clip sizes, and the evolution of organic participation. Tie observations to the supply curve you published. When metrics align with the story, confidence compounds.
Common failure patterns to avoid
Two behaviors break unlocks: staging optics (voluntary spikes followed by air) and over-defense (immovable walls that drain budget and scare professionals away). A third is fragmented execution across venues that invites self-inflicted volatility. All three are solved by clear bands, coherent routing, and honest communication.
Aftercare: normalize quickly
When the window closes, scale support down to steady-state targets and let organic flow lead. If the chart still relies on visible props, revisit depth placement and supply staging. A good unlock ends with lower ongoing support needs than before, not higher.
How BeLiquid runs liquidity playbooks for vesting events
BeLiquid designs unlock programs that align supply curves with execution reality. We translate vesting schedules into depth targets by bands, coordinate CEX and DeFi presence, and keep spreads in disciplined corridors with 24/7 coverage. Reporting is human-readable—depth dispersion, realized spread, slippage, venue notes—so teams and communities can see market health, not just throughput.
Conclusion
Liquidity playbooks for vesting events are about engineering a believable market while float expands. Map the curve, place depth where it matters, defend spreads without theatrics, keep venues coherent, and communicate simply. Do that, and unlocks become routine operations—not crises.
Work with BeLiquid
Planning a vesting unlock? We’ll help you stage supply, design depth and spreads, and keep execution credible—without burning the treasury.
