More than half a billion dollars in multiple altcoins will be unlocked this week, triggering concerns among the crypto community.
By Wahid Pessarlay
Editor Hamza Tariq
Updated
2 mins read
Multiple cryptocurrencies will see incoming cliff and linear token unlocks within the next seven days, putting pressure on the investors’ sentiment.
According to Wu Blockchain, Hyperliquid HYPE $26.15 24h volatility: 3.2% Market cap: $6.23 B Vol. 24h: $203.23 M , Sui SUI $1.44 24h volatility: 1.4% Market cap: $5.37 B Vol. 24h: $674.60 M , EigenCloud EIGEN $0.38 24h volatility: 2.9% Market cap: $188.27 M Vol. 24h: $36.39 M , Kamino KMNO $0.0530 24h volatility: 2.1% Market cap: $189.66 M Vol. 24h: $12.64 M , Optimism OP $0.27 24h volatility: 1.4% Market cap: $528.16 M Vol. 24h: $68.09 M , Ethena ENA $0.21 24h volatility: 0.1% Market cap: $1.61 B Vol. 24h: $151.17 M , ZORA and SVL will see large token unlocks, with each one exceeding $5 million in value.
According to Tokenomist, large cliff unlocks (single unlocks exceeding $5 million) scheduled over the next 7 days include HYPE, SUI, EIGEN, KMNO, OP, ENA, ZORA, and SVL. Large linear unlocks (daily unlocks exceeding $1 million) over the same period include RAIN, SOL, TRUMP, WLD,… pic.twitter.com/ZBllI1K6lq
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 29, 2025
HYPE is leading the list with roughly $251 million in expected tokens to be unlocked at once, also called a cliff unlock.
Since a huge amount of tokens is expected to enter the circulating supply at once, HYPE is currently positioned at a higher shock risk.
RAIN, Solana SOL $122.9 24h volatility: 1.1% Market cap: $69.16 B Vol. 24h: $5.52 B , Official Trump TRUMP $4.91 24h volatility: 0.3% Market cap: $983.05 M Vol. 24h: $170.02 M , Worldcoin WLD $0.50 24h volatility: 2.1% Market cap: $1.32 B Vol. 24h: $94.10 M , Dogecoin DOGE $0.12 24h volatility: 0.5% Market cap: $20.76 B Vol. 24h: $1.02 B , Avalanche AVAX $12.60 24h volatility: 0.7% Market cap: $5.41 B Vol. 24h: $375.72 M and Aster ASTER $0.70 24h volatility: 2.7% Market cap: $1.66 B Vol. 24h: $141.71 M will see large linear unlocks in the same timeframe, Wu Blockchain wrote, citing data from Tokenomist.
Linear unlocks don’t happen suddenly, so it’s easier for the market to absorb the tension.
The total value of the forthcoming token unlocks for this week reaches at least $585 million.
The expectations of huge unlocks this week have already triggered fear, uncertainty, and doubt among the crypto community.
Responding to Wu Blockchain’s X post, users have been complaining about increased selling pressure.
Big unlocks = quiet selling pressure incoming
— A79 🀄️ (@a79degen) December 29, 2025
It’s important to note that token unlocks do not change or alter the fundamentals, technology, and utility of a cryptocurrency.
Instead, these are the tokens that have been locked for the founders, early investors, team, or partners of a project.
Naturally, the market expects selling pressure when large token unlocks are in line. However, some investors might not sell anytime soon, either due to future sentiment, bear market, or long-term utility.
Currently, many tokens are already far from their ATHs. For example, SOL is down by 57% from its top price of $294. HYPE has recorded a pretty similar movement and is currently down by 56% from its ATH of $59.
Overall, the global crypto market cap is down by $1.2 trillion since early October.
Since some investors would prefer to wait for a better price point, the selling pressure would likely be much lower than the market expects.
For example, the crypto market didn’t see high volatility after the $309 million token unlocks on Dec. 15. Instead, most of the assets continued sideways movements.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Wahid has been analyzing and reporting on the latest trends in the decentralized ecosystem since 2019. He has over 4,000 articles to his name and his work has been featured on some of the leading outlets including Yahoo Finance, Investing.com, Cointelegraph, and Benzinga. Other than reporting, Wahid likes to connect the dots between DeFi and macro on his newsletter, On-chain Monk.
