OFFX Custody · Product Update

Custom Vesting Schedules: The Missing Piece in Locked-Token Secondary Markets

March 2026 · 6 min read

The locked-token secondary market has a structural problem. When investors want partial liquidity from a vesting position, they face an impossible choice: sell everything or sell nothing. Until now, OTC trades for locked tokens have been all-or-nothing — forcing sellers to give up their entire vesting schedule to access any liquidity at all.

Today, OFFX introduces custom vesting schedule sales powered by OFFX Custody — enabling sellers to choose exactly which vesting events to sell while retaining the rest of their position.

The Problem: All-or-Nothing OTC Trading

In the current locked-token secondary market, a seller with a 36-month vesting schedule who needs short-term liquidity has no good options. They can either sell their entire vesting position — giving up all future upside — or hold and wait, potentially missing critical windows where they need capital.

Before — Traditional OTC
All-or-Nothing
  • Must sell entire vesting schedule
  • Lose all future token exposure
  • Counterparty takes on full duration risk
  • Higher discount demanded by buyers
After — OFFX Custom Vesting
Granular Control
  • Sell only selected vesting events
  • Retain long-term token exposure
  • Buyer chooses limited duration risk
  • Tighter pricing on shorter tranches

This forces an inefficient market equilibrium. Buyers demand steep discounts because they're taking on the full duration risk of a multi-year vesting schedule. Sellers accept worse pricing because they have no alternative. Everyone loses.

The Solution: Individually Selectable Vesting Events

With OFFX's custom vesting schedule sales, each vesting event becomes an individually toggleable unit. A seller with a 36-month linear vesting schedule can now choose to sell only the first 12 months of unlocks — accessing immediate liquidity while retaining the remaining 24 months of their position.

Example: 24-Month Vesting Schedule
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
M10
M11
M12
M13
M14
M15
M16
M17
M18
M19
M20
M21
M22
M23
M24
Sold (M1–M12) Retained (M13–M24)

This flexibility fundamentally changes the dynamics of locked-token OTC trading:

For sellers: Access liquidity on your terms. Need to cover a tax obligation? Sell 6 months of unlocks. Want to de-risk while maintaining long-term conviction? Sell the near-term and keep the tail.

For buyers: Choose your risk profile. Prefer shorter duration exposure? Buy only the next 3 months of unlocks at a smaller discount. Willing to take longer-term risk for better pricing? Buy a full 24-month tranche.

How It Works

01
Deposit
Seller deposits tokens into OFFX Custody (Blockfort + Fireblocks)
02
Select
Toggle individual vesting events on/off to create a custom sale package
03
Trade
List the custom schedule on OFFX or negotiate directly with counterparties
04
Settle
Tokens auto-deliver to buyer as each selected vesting event unlocks

Powered by OFFX Custody

This feature is only possible because the tokens are already held with OFFX Custody. Our custody infrastructure — built on Blockfort (Swiss-regulated custody) and Fireblocks (institutional wallet infrastructure) — ensures that delivery is guaranteed. There's no counterparty risk on settlement because the tokens are already secured.

Blockfort
Swiss-Regulated Custody
+
Fireblocks
Wallet Infrastructure
+
OFFX Deal Engine
Trade Execution

The custody layer serves as the foundation for guaranteed settlement: when a vesting event triggers, tokens are automatically routed to the buyer's wallet. No manual intervention, no settlement risk, no trust required between counterparties.

Why This Matters

3x
More liquidity options
50%
Reduced duration risk
0
Settlement risk

Custom vesting schedule sales represent a step-change in how the locked-token secondary market operates. By breaking monolithic vesting positions into individually tradable components, we're enabling a more efficient market where pricing better reflects actual risk and participants can express more nuanced views.

This is part of our broader mission to build institutional-grade infrastructure for the crypto secondary market. The combination of regulated custody, flexible deal structuring, and guaranteed settlement creates a trading environment that works for both sellers looking for liquidity and buyers looking for exposure.

Ready to explore custom vesting sales?

OFFX Custody clients can start structuring custom vesting trades today.

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