Curve Finance tool
veCRV boost calculator for Curve Finance
Work out exactly what locking CRV is worth to you. This Curve Finance boost calculator uses the same working-balance formula as the gauge contracts, so the multiplier and APY it returns match how Curve Finance actually pays emissions.
Curve Finance veCRV boost & APY calculator
Enter your Curve Finance deposit, the gauge size and your veCRV balance. The calculator applies the same working-balance formula the Curve Finance gauge contracts use, so you can see your boost multiplier and boosted APY before locking any CRV.
Boost multiplier
1x
Boosted total APY
6.51%
Without any veCRV
6.5%
Boosted CRV APR
4.01%
Working balance (USD)
4,011
veCRV needed for 2.5x
1,400,000
Educational estimate only. Real Curve Finance returns move with emissions, gauge weights, trading volume and the total veCRV supply, and your boost decays as your veCRV lock nears expiry. Always confirm live numbers on the official Curve Finance interface.
How the Curve Finance boost formula works
Curve Finance does not pay CRV emissions on your deposit directly. It pays them on a derived number called the working balance. For a deposit b in a gauge of total size S, with a veCRV balance w out of a total veCRV supply W, the working balance is the smaller of your full deposit and 0.4·b + 0.6·S·(w/W). Everyone starts at the 40% floor, and the veCRV term closes the remaining 60% gap. Reaching your full deposit means a 2.5x boost, and Curve Finance caps it there.
Read that formula carefully and one thing becomes obvious: what matters is not how much veCRV you hold in absolute terms, but how your share of veCRV compares with your share of the pool. A holder with modest CRV can max out a small deposit in a small Curve Finance gauge, while a whale supplying 5% of a large pool needs 5% of all veCRV to do the same.
Reading the calculator output
- Boost multiplier — how many times more CRV you earn versus an unboosted Curve Finance deposit of the same size. Always between 1.0x and 2.5x.
- Boosted total APY — base trading fees from the Curve Finance pool plus the boosted CRV emissions. Fees are never boosted; only emissions are.
- Working balance — the notional size Curve Finance actually pays you on.
- veCRV needed for 2.5x — the break-even target for this specific deposit and gauge.
Is locking CRV worth it?
Compare three numbers before you lock. First, the extra emissions the calculator shows — the difference between your boosted APY and the unboosted line. Second, the admin-fee revenue veCRV entitles you to across all Curve Finance pools. Third, the opportunity cost of freezing CRV for up to four years in a non-transferable position. If the first two together do not comfortably exceed the third, the honest answer for most users is to use a liquid locker instead and rent someone else's boost.
The other structural consideration is voting. veCRV directs gauge weights, and gauge weights decide which Curve Finance pools receive emissions at all. That voting power is the reason protocols have spent years accumulating veCRV — the so-called Curve Wars — and it is worth far more to a protocol launching a stablecoin than to an individual liquidity provider. Price your lock accordingly.
Keeping your boost alive
Two maintenance points catch people out. veCRV decays linearly toward expiry, so a boost calculated today shrinks every week unless you extend. And Curve Finance gauges only refresh your working balance when a checkpoint occurs — depositing, withdrawing, claiming, or being kicked by another user. After locking more CRV, interact with the gauge to make the new boost effective rather than assuming it applies automatically.
veCRV boost calculator FAQ
What is the maximum Curve Finance boost?
The Curve Finance gauge formula caps the boost at 2.5x. Without veCRV you earn 40% of the CRV emissions your deposit would otherwise be entitled to; with enough veCRV you earn the full amount, which is 2.5 times more.
How much veCRV do I need for a 2.5x boost?
Your veCRV share of total veCRV supply must be at least as large as your share of the gauge. If you supply 1% of a Curve Finance pool, you need roughly 1% of all veCRV — which is why maximum boost is realistic only for very large lockers or through a liquid locker.
How is veCRV obtained?
By locking CRV for between one week and four years. A four-year lock gives one veCRV per CRV; shorter locks give proportionally less, and the balance decays linearly toward zero as the lock approaches expiry. veCRV is non-transferable.
Does the boost decay over time?
Yes. Because veCRV decays with the remaining lock time, your Curve Finance boost falls unless you extend the lock. Gauges also require a checkpoint (kick) before a stale working balance is updated.