Over $389 million worth of tokens will flood the market between May 5–12, marking one of the most significant liquidity events in crypto this month. Here's a breakdown of the major unlocks and their potential market impact.
Key Unlock Highlights
Layer's Cliff Unlock Dominates with $86.73 Million Release
- Token Volume: 27.02 million LAYER
- Percentage of Circulating Supply: 12.87%
- Market Impact: As the largest single unlock, this could pressure LAYER's price short-term.
Other Major Cliff Unlocks:
| Project | Token Amount | Value | % of Supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENA | 171.88M | $49.52M | 3.10% |
| SPEC | 10M | $21.30M | 48.51% |
| KAS | 146.4M | $13.39M | 0.55% |
👉 How token unlocks affect crypto prices
Solana Tops Linear Unlocks at $67.27 Million
- SOL Unlock: 465,770 SOL ($67.27M, 0.09% of supply)
Notable Follow-ups:
- Worldcoin (WLD): 37.23M tokens ($34.60M, 2.84% supply)
- TAO: 50,400 tokens ($17.38M)
- TIA: 6.96M tokens ($16.63M, 1.13% supply)
Market Context: Linear unlocks typically cause less volatility than cliff releases but may still suppress prices if demand doesn't match new supply.
Smaller Projects with Upcoming Unlocks
While less impactful individually, these unlocks could compound market pressure:
| Project | Tokens Unlocked | Value | % of Locked Supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sipher (SIPHER) | 13.25M | $587,241 | 1.32% |
| Berachain (BERA) | 10M | $29.53M | 1.99% |
| Mavia (MAVIA) | 10.77M | $2.38M | 4.19% |
FAQs: Token Unlocks Explained
Q: Why do token unlocks matter?
A: Unlocks increase circulating supply, which can dilute token value if buying demand doesn't keep pace. Projects often schedule unlocks to align with roadmap milestones.
Q: How can investors prepare?
A: Monitor unlock calendars, check project vesting schedules, and assess whether the team has historically managed unlocks responsibly.
Q: Do all unlocks cause price drops?
A: Not necessarily. Strong utility (e.g., staking rewards) or exchange listings can absorb new supply. Historical data shows top-tier projects like Solana often recover quickly post-unlock.
👉 Strategies to hedge against unlock volatility
Key Takeaways:
- Total Unlock Value: $389M combined (cliff + linear)
- Highest Impact: Layer ($86.73M) and Solana ($67.27M)
- Watchlist: ENA, WLD, and SPEC due to high supply percentage unlocks
Data sources: TokenUnlocks, CoinMarketCap, WuBlockchain