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Points farming exit plan: lockups, withdrawal delays, and getting unstuck

· 7 min read

A practical exit-plan template for points farming: how to spot lockups and delays early, and how to avoid positions you can’t unwind.

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Most points farming losses don’t start as hacks. They start as “I can’t exit.” Withdrawals get queued, bridges get delayed, markets depeg, and suddenly your “temporary” position turns into a forced hold.

This post gives you an exit-plan template you can use before you touch size. If you can’t write the exit plan in plain English, treat that as a stop sign.

Start from sourced program pages: points directory.

Quick take

  • Assume every position has an exit constraint until proven otherwise.
  • Don’t farm points in a position you can’t unwind within your risk window.
  • Model the worst case: withdrawals paused, bridge delayed, or liquidity thin.
  • Write down the exact action that exits the position and the expected time-to-exit.
  • Keep records of approvals and exit steps so you can move fast.

Nothing here is financial advice. This is about avoiding operational blowups.

Why exits matter more than points

Points are uncertain. Exit constraints are not.

When you open a DeFi position to farm points, you take on:

  • smart contract risk
  • market risk (price moves, depegs)
  • operational risk (clicking links, signing approvals)
  • time risk (cooldowns, queues, challenge periods)

If your exit path is slow or brittle, all the other risks get worse because you can’t respond.

Define your “time-to-exit” requirement first

Before you look at points, decide how quickly you need to be able to unwind if conditions change.

Example requirements:

  • “If I want out, I want to be out within 24 hours.”
  • “I can tolerate a 7-day cooldown, but not a 30-day unbonding.”
  • “I’m fine waiting on L2 withdrawal finality, but only if I planned for it.”

This is not about being pessimistic. It’s about matching strategies to your liquidity needs. If your personal time-to-exit requirement is 24 hours, a 7-day queue is not a “minor detail.” It’s the whole trade.

The exit constraints you should look for

Here’s the short list of “things that trap people,” as of 2025-12-30.

Exit constraintWhat it looks likeThe question to answer before you enter
CooldownYou request withdrawal, then wait N days“Can I tolerate N days if markets move?”
Withdrawal queueYou request withdrawal, then wait for processing“What happens if the queue grows?”
Challenge periodYou withdraw from an L2 and wait for finality“What’s my plan during the waiting period?”
Pausable withdrawalsAdmin can pause exits“Who can pause, and what guardrails exist?”
Thin liquidityYou can exit, but slippage is brutal“Is there enough depth to exit safely?”
Peg riskYou’re in a stable that can lose peg“What’s my plan if it depegs?”
Liquidation riskYou borrowed against collateral“At what price do I get liquidated?”

If a points program requires you to accept one of these, the program owes you clarity in docs and UI. If the sources are vague, treat the position as higher risk.

A one-paragraph exit plan (template)

Copy this into your notes before you deposit:

I can exit by doing ____ in the official app at ____. Expected time-to-exit is ____ (as of 2025-12-30). The main failure modes are ____ (paused withdrawals, bridge delays, thin liquidity). If ____ happens, I will ____ (reduce exposure, unwind partially, or stop adding).

Your plan doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to exist.

If you want a template for tracking actions and approvals, read: questing recordkeeping.

Exit pre-flight checklist

Before you enter, confirm you can answer these without guessing:

  • What exact UI path exits the position?
  • What is the expected time-to-exit, dated (“as of”)?
  • What happens if withdrawals pause or the bridge is delayed?
  • What approvals did you grant, and can you revoke them later?

Example exit plans (generic)

These examples are intentionally generic. Use them to structure your own notes.

Example A: deposit with a cooldown

I exit by initiating withdrawal in the official app. The cooldown is 7 days as of 2025-12-30. During the cooldown, I won’t add size. If withdrawals are paused, I stop interacting and reduce other exposures until exits resume.

Example B: LP position with slippage risk

I exit by removing liquidity in the official UI, then swapping to the asset I want to hold. I’m exposed to IL and slippage on exit. If liquidity thins, I exit in smaller chunks and accept that execution price matters.

Example C: cross-chain position that requires bridging

I exit by withdrawing on the source chain, then bridging back through an official route. If the bridge is delayed, I track the tx hash and message status and do not try random “support links.”

How to find exit constraints in sources

Don’t rely on secondhand summaries. Exit constraints live in a few predictable places:

  • “Withdrawals” docs pages (cooldowns, queues, and timing)
  • UI warnings (often shown right before you deposit)
  • Terms like “unbonding,” “unlock,” “cooldown,” “queued,” or “claimable”
  • Bridge pages (finality, message status, withdrawal path)

If a program can change these, it should date updates. If there’s no update trail, treat it as “rules can change without warning.”

Bridges: exits can be delayed even when nothing is “wrong”

Bridging isn’t only about fees. It’s also about time and failure modes.

If your exit requires bridging, you need to know:

  • what chain you’re exiting from
  • what “finality” means in that system
  • what you do if the message is delayed

Compare routes and costs before you move funds: bridge fee comparison.

More detail: bridge fee comparison guide.

LP exits: impermanent loss and slippage are part of the unwind

Providing liquidity can be easy to enter and painful to exit.

Before you LP for points, sanity-check:

  • how your position behaves when price moves
  • whether your exit depends on thin liquidity

Use the tool: impermanent loss calculator.

What to do when exits break

You can’t control protocol downtime, but you can control exposure and documentation.

If you’re in a position and something changes:

  • Stop adding to the position until you understand the new rules.
  • Read the primary sources again; look for dated updates.
  • Review approvals; reduce permissions you no longer need.
  • If the app UI changes, validate you’re on the correct domain (lookalikes spike during chaos).

This is why “recordkeeping beats memory.”

FAQ

Are lockups always bad?

No. Lockups can reduce bank-run risk or support protocol mechanics. They become dangerous when they’re unclear, change without notice, or don’t match your liquidity needs.

What’s the most common “gotcha” in exits?

Withdrawal queues and cooldowns. People assume they can exit “any time,” then discover the time-to-exit is measured in days.

If a program offers “boosts” for longer lockups, should I do it?

Don’t scale risk to chase points. If you can’t tolerate the lockup in a worst case, the boost isn’t worth it.

How do I avoid getting stuck in the first place?

Use a strict rule: no size without a written exit plan. If you can’t write it, you can’t manage it.

Next step

Sources and further reading

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