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Crypto traders and investors are bracing for a significant influx of new supply into the market this week, as several major projects are scheduled to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tokens.
According to data from Tokenomist, visualized by reporter Colin Wu (@WuBlockchain), the period between December 29 and January 5 will see substantial “cliff” and “linear” unlocks, with the HYPE token leading the pack with a staggering quarter-billion-dollar release.
Cliff Unlocks: HYPE Dominates
A “cliff unlock” refers to a specific date when a large amount of previously frozen tokens — often held by early investors, teams, or advisors — are suddenly released into circulation.
The most significant event of the week is the HYPE unlock. Data shows a cliff release valued at approximately $251.19 million, representing 2.59% of its adjusted released supply.
Following HYPE is Layer-1 blockchain Sui (SUI), which is scheduled to unlock $67.29 million worth of tokens, accounting for 1.24% of its supply.
Other notable cliff unlocks this week include Optimism (OP) at $8.66 million, Ethena (ENA) at $8.50 million, and Zora (ZORA) at $7.15 million.
High-Impact Supply Shocks: EIGEN and KMNO
While some unlocks have a high dollar value, others are significant due to the percentage of total supply being released relative to what is currently circulating.
EigenLayer (EIGEN) is set for a notable supply shock. While the dollar value of its unlock is lower than HYPE’s at $14.44 million, this represents a substantial 9.74% of its adjusted released supply. This is the highest percentage impact on the list this week.
Similarly, Kamino Finance (KMNO) will unlock $11.75 million, representing 5.35% of its supply.
Major Linear Emissions: RAIN and SOL
Unlike cliffs, linear unlocks occur gradually over time, creating steady selling pressure rather than a single shock event.
The data highlights Rainmaker (RAIN) as having the largest linear unlock by value over the coming week, with $76.56 million scheduled for release.
Major blue-chip assets also continue their emissions schedules. Solana (SOL) will see $61.62 million released linearly over the week, while Dogecoin (DOGE) will see an increase of $11.89 million. Other linear unlocks include TRUMP ($24.11M), Worldcoin ($18.94M), and Avalanche ($8.90M).
Why Unlocks Matter
Token unlocks are closely monitored by the market because they increase the circulating supply of an asset.
When a large quantity of tokens is released to early investors or team members who bought at much lower prices, there is often a temptation to sell and realize profits. If market demand cannot absorb this sudden increase in supply, it can lead to significant downward price pressure and increased volatility in the days surrounding the unlock event.
This article is published on BitPinas: Market Watch: HYPE Leads Massive $500M+ Week of Token Unlocks
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