Klaytn (KLAY) Token marked for de-listing
Unlock Schedule
Klaytn (KLAY) Token Unlock & Vesting Schedule
The unlock chart above provides a clear visual overview of the Klaytn (KLAY) token release schedule, showing when and how tokens enter circulation across investor, team, treasury, and community allocations. Understanding these tokenomics dynamics is critical for evaluating potential supply pressure, inflation impact, and market liquidity over time — key factors that can influence KLAY price performance.
Each color segment in the chart corresponds to a specific allocation group described in the Allocations section below. Underlying assumptions and data models used to reconstruct this schedule are explained in detail under Assumptions, while broader utility insights and token use cases are covered in Tokenomics & Utility.
Tokenomics & Utility
Before the 2024 merge, Klaytn tokenomics centered on the KLAY token. At genesis, 10 billion KLAY were issued. New KLAY were minted as block rewards and split among network participants and ecosystem funds. A 2023 optimization proposal (KGP-6) restructured emissions to 6.4 KLAY per block (about 200 million per year, near 2% annualized) and updated distributions to:
- Governance Council rewards (proposer + staking): 50% combined
- Klaytn Community Fund (KCF): 30%
- Klaytn Foundation Fund (KFF): 20% (docs.klaytn.foundation)
The same proposal aimed to burn a large portion of uncirculated reserves (initially 5.28 billion KLAY) and designated the remaining 2 billion as a “Value Creation Reserve” to be either deployed via on-chain governance or burned after three years if unused—moving Klaytn toward more sustainable, even deflationary, tokenomics. (prnewswire.com)
What does KLAY do? Historically, holders used the KLAY token to:
- Pay gas fees on the Klaytn blockchain.
- Secure the network through staking (for Governance Council participants).
- Incentivize ecosystem growth via grant and investment programs run by KCF/KFF (previously KGF/KIR).
- Settle app-level activities such as DeFi rewards, NFT minting fees, or in-game transactions. (docs.klaytn.foundation)
Following the Klaytn–Finschia merger, KLAY rebranded to KAIA on exchanges and in wallets. The integrated chain’s vision emphasizes lower base inflation, layered burning tied to activity, and transparent, on-chain management of ecosystem funds—continuing the focus on long-term value in a larger, unified ecosystem. If you look up Klaytn tokenomics today, you’ll see many materials now describe the KAIA coin that replaces KLAY one-for-one. (prnewswire.co.uk)
Assumptions
- Modeled network issuance using documented block numbers and per-block mint rates; 1-second block time assumed between hardfork landmarks.
Official docs specify exact block heights/dates for rate and distribution changes; continuous 1s blocks are Klaytn design.
- Post-merge, KLAY issuance effectively ends for this model on 2024-10-31 and continues under KAIA thereafter.
Kaia transition states KLAY balances auto-reflected as KAIA; major exchanges rebranded KLAY→KAIA 2024-10/11.
- Private Sale vesting: 1,624,251,988 KLAY unlocked by March 2021 per whitepaper; remaining amount to reach 1.634B by 2023-02-21 modeled linearly.
Only aggregate milestones are officially disclosed; monthly schedule not published.
- Team, Business Development, and R&D circulating amounts modeled as linear unlocks from genesis to 2023-02-21.
Foundation disclosed circulating totals by category as of 2023-02-21 but not vesting cadences.
- Ecosystem Funds from block rewards treated as entering circulation when minted to fund addresses.
On-chain minting transfers control to fund wallets; subsequent grant disbursements lack a published month-by-month schedule.
- 1. https://docs.klaytn.foundation/docs/learn/token-economy/
- 2. https://docs.klaytn.foundation/docs/misc/klaytn-history/
- 3. https://archive-docs.klaytn.foundation/misc/klaytn-history
- 4. https://klaytn.medium.com/klaytn-block-reward-adjustment-governance-proposal-vote-result-4eaaaae9cdc
- 5. https://medium.com/klaytn/klaytn-tokenomics-optimization-governance-proposal-kgp-6-result-b51cf86c0ddc
- 6. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/klaytn-foundation-introduces-tokenomics-optimization-proposal-to-secure-sustainable--verifiable-token-economy-301752944.html
- 7. https://docs.kaia.io/kaiatech/kaia-white-paper/
- 8. https://docs.kaia.io/misc/kaia-transition/faq-chain-transition/
- 9. https://www.kucoin.com/announcement/en-kucoin-has-completed-the-rebranding-of-klaytn-klay-to-kaia-kaia-20241031
- 10. https://archive-docs.klaytn.foundation/content/dapp/json-rpc/api-references/klay/block
- 11. https://kips.klaytn.foundation/KIPs/kip-82
- 12. https://medium.com/klaytn/how-to-check-the-status-of-the-treasuryrebalance-kip-103-562d770d83dd