Bitcoin price action may be grabbing headlines, but a new wave of volatility is set to hit the crypto market this week as a series of major token unlocks are set to roll out across several altcoins.
Several projects will be releasing previously locked tokens into circulation over the next several days, potentially bringing short-term selling pressure. From small-cap newcomers to multibillion-dollar protocols, the collective impact could be felt in the week’s trading activity as a whole.
Among the largest unlocks is the nearly $1 billion release from WhiteBIT Coin (WBT), making up over 21% of its market cap. Set for May 13, this token unlock dwarfs others in scale and is likely to spark major price movement.
Other notable unlocks include:
Projects like ether.fi, DIMO, BounceBit, GoPlus, Ancient8, and Convex Finance will also be undergoing unlocks ranging from $1 million to $8 million, contributing to the steady wave of circulating supply increases across the ecosystem.
Token unlocks are a standard occurrence in crypto, often tied to vesting schedules for early investors, teams, or community incentives. However, when they represent a large percentage of a project’s total market value, they can bring volatility or downward price pressure as the recipients choose to sell into strength.
This week’s batch of unlocks come at a sensitive moment. While Bitcoin price remains firm and investor sentiment is broadly bullish, the sudden influx of liquidity from unlocks could test support levels, especially among smaller-cap tokens with lower trading volumes.
While not all token unlocks usually result in immediate price swings, traders and analysts will be keeping an eye out for signs of profit-taking, especially in projects with unlocks above 5–10% of total supply.
