Key Takeaways From Upcoming Token Unlock Events

Several significant token unlock events are scheduled between May 26 and June 1, 2025. These releases could introduce substantial new supply into the market

Key Takeaways:

Several major cryptocurrency tokens have significant unlock events scheduled between May 26 and June 1, 2025.

These releases could add substantial new supply to the market, potentially impacting token prices.

We analyze each major unlock, highlighting the number of tokens, percentage of supply, and estimated value in USD.

We also discuss the potential market impact of each unlock, considering the token’s circulating supply and market liquidity.

Optimism (OP) – Unlock on May 31, 2025

Optimism, a popular Ethereum layer-2 token, will unlock 31.34 million OP on May 31. This represents about 1.8% of Optimism’s circulating supply.

At current prices (around $0.82 per OP), the unlock is valued at roughly $25-30 million.

This scheduled release is part of OP’s vesting for insiders (likely investor or team allocations).

Given Optimism’s large market cap (nearly $1.4 billion), a 1.8% supply increase is relatively small.

Previous linear releases of OP have been absorbed without major price swings.

However, some short-term volatility is possible around the unlock date if holders decide to sell immediately.

Since the unlock was known in advance, it may be priced in, and any dip could be short-lived if overall market sentiment remains bullish.

Ripple (XRP) – Unlock on June 1, 2025

Ripple Labs is set to unlock 1.0 billion XRP from escrow on or around June 1 as part of its monthly release schedule.

At the time of reporting, this tranche is worth over $2.3 billion (XRP has been trading around $2.30).

This unlock constitutes roughly 2% of XRP’s total supply, and about a similar fraction of the circulating supply, making it one of the largest dollar-value unlocks of the year.

Such a massive release could raise concerns of downward price pressure, as an influx of $2B+ tokens might flood the market.

However, Ripple typically re-locks 60-70% of the released XRP back into escrow and only circulates 30–40% for ecosystem needs.

Given these practices, the effective circulating increase may be much smaller.

Thus, while June’s large unlock could spark short-term volatility or trader caution, the actual sell pressure might be limited.

Sui (SUI) – Unlock on June 1, 2025

SUL (SUL) - Unlock on June 1, 2025

Sui, a high-profile Layer-1 blockchain token, will unlock 44 million SUI coins on June 1.

This significant infusion accounts for about 1.32% of SUI’s circulating supply. At recent market prices (∼$3.87 per SUI), the unlock is valued around $170 million.

This event follows Sui’s prior large unlock on May 1, and is part of the project’s vesting schedule.

A $170M token release is substantial, even for a top-15 market cap project.

It equates to roughly 2-3 days of SUI’s trading volume, which could introduce noticeable selling pressure if recipients choose to sell.

However, SUI’s price rallied in May despite a major unlock, suggesting much of the supply shock was anticipated.

If market sentiment is positive, SUI may only dip temporarily. Still, a short-term pullback or increased volatility around June 1 is possible.

ZetaChain (ZETA) – Unlock on June 1, 2025

ZetaChain, an interchain blockchain project, will unlock 44.26 million ZETA tokens on June 1.

This unlock stands out because it represents a hefty 5.34% of ZETA’s circulating supply – a much larger relative increase than the other major tokens this week.

In absolute terms, the event is smaller, worth roughly $11–12 million at current prices (ZETA ≈$0.28).

ZetaChain is a mid-cap project with a shorter trading history, and this unlock likely comes from early investor or team allocations.

A >5% supply jump in a single day is large and could exert significant short-term downward pressure on ZETA’s price.

With a shallower market and less liquidity than large caps, ZetaChain’s token might see a sharper reaction to new supply.

Traders and holders should be cautious of increased volatility. ZETA could dip noticeably if a substantial portion of these tokens hits exchanges.