The crypto market is entering a week of heavy token supply, with seven projects scheduled to release nearly $200 million worth of tokens into circulation between December 15 and 21. This influx of supply comes just before traders anticipate whether a “Christmas rally” will materialize or if the ongoing crypto winter will persist.
Major Unlocks Detailed
A total of over 568 million previously locked tokens will hit trading platforms, valued at approximately $199.42 million. This significant addition to the circulating supply could potentially drive a market downturn if not met with sufficient demand, especially as the broader market is already experiencing a mild correction.
- Aster (ASTER) leads the unlocks with the single largest release, accounting for $75.36 million from 78.41 million tokens. This release represents 3.41% of its market capitalization. Notably, this unlock coincides with the start of Phase 5 of Aster’s “Double Harvest” incentive campaign, which requires users to hold a minimum of 444 ASTER.
- Price Context: ASTER has recently dropped by 3% over the past week and is trading around $0.93, after failing to maintain price levels above $1.00 following a bounce from $0.88 earlier in the month.
- LayerZero (ZRO) is the second-largest unlock, releasing 24.68 million ZRO tokens, valued at $37.42 million. This is about 10.3% of its market valuation.
- Arbitrum (ARB) follows with 92.63 million ARB tokens, valued at $19.78 million.
- Vana (VANA) and Yooldo Esports (ESPORTS)also have sizable unlocks:
- VANA: 6.12 million tokens, worth $17.41 million (Dec 16).
- ESPORTS: 41.91 million tokens, valued at $17.22 million (Dec 19).
- STBL (STBL) and Merlin Chain (MERL)round out the top seven:
- STBL: Unlocking 288.39 million tokens, worth $16.12 million. While lower in dollar value, this represents the highest proportional release at 57.7% of its market capitalization.
- MERL: Releasing 36.14 million tokens, valued at $16.11 million (Dec 19).
The report emphasizes that this supply shock is unfolding against a backdrop of a slightly downward trend in the overall crypto market, meaning traders will be watching closely to see if existing demand can absorb the new token circulation without causing a deeper price correction.
