Major Token Unlocks in September: $1.73 Billion to Flood the Crypto Market

In September, the crypto market is poised for significant activity as approximately $1.73 billion worth of tokens are set to be unlocked.

BeInCrypto has highlighted the top five unlocks that will introduce a substantial influx of assets into the market.

September’s Token Unlocks: What to Expect in the Crypto Market

Data from TokenUnlocks indicates that approximately $418.53 million of this month’s token unlocks are classified as cliff unlocks. In the context of token unlock events, cliff refers to tokens set to release on a schedule that’s more periodic than daily, such as weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Since token unlocks introduce previously unavailable tokens into circulation, investors and traders closely monitor these events because they affect the market environment. While some view these events as growth opportunities, they also carry the risk of increased selling pressure. Analysts at TokenUnlocks warn that the notion of “unlocks being bullish” is not always accurate.

“It’s essential to recognize that absorbing such a large supply will require substantial liquidity. The broader market will need to step in to absorb this influx, which could lead to increased selling pressure as these tokens seek out liquidity,” they wrote.

This month’s most significant cliff token unlocks include Sui (SUI), Immutable (IMX), Aptos (APT), Arbitrum (ARB), and Optimism (OP). 

Sui (SUI)

On September 1, Sui will unlock 64.19 million tokens. These tokens, worth approximately $51.6 million, account for 2.47% of its circulating supply. The distribution of these tokens will be as follows:

• Series A: 19.84 million SUI ($15.95 million)
• Series B: 19.32 million SUI (15.53 million)
• Early contributors: 10.34 million ($8.31 million)
• Mysten Labs treasury: 2.07 million SUI ($1.66 million)
• Community reserve: 12.63 million SUI ($10.15 million)

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About the Sui Blockchain

Immutable (IMX)

Following Sui, Immutable will release 32.47 million IMX tokens on September 6. These tokens, worth roughly $47.41 million, translate to 2.06% of IMX’s circulating supply. They will be distributed to the ecosystem and project developments, with the details as follows:

• Ecosystem development: 15.91 million IMX ($23.24 million)
• Project development: 16.56 million IMX ($24.18 million)

Aptos (APT)

Aptos’ unlock on September 11 will see 11.31 million APT tokens enter the market. This figure equals 2.33% of APT’s total supply, with a total value of $76.68 million.

The distribution of these tokens will be as follows:

• Foundation: 1.33 million APT ($9.04 million)
• Community: 3.21 million APT ($21.76 million)
• Core contributors: 3.96 million APT ($26.84 million)
• Investors: 2.81 million APT ($19.04 million

Arbitrum (ARB)

On September 16, Arbitrum will release 92.65 million ARB tokens, worth $47.48 million. This significant unlock represents 2.65% of ARB’s circulating supply. The distribution of these tokens will be as follows:

• Team, future team, and advisors: 56.13 million ARB ($23.77 million)
• Investors: 36.52 million ARB ($18.72 million)

Optimism (OP)

Finally, on September 30, Optimism will unlock 31.34 million OP tokens, valued at $44.51 million. These tokens will be allocated to core contributors and investors, supporting the project’s long-term sustainability. The breakdown of this token unlock allocation will be as follows:

• Core contributors: 16.54 million OP ($23.49 million)
• Investors: 14.80 million OP ($21.02 million)

Read more: Optimism vs. Arbitrum: Ethereum Layer-2 Rollups Compared

Beyond these major unlocks, the market will also see cliff token unlocks from other notable projects in September, including dYdX (DYDX), ZetaChain (ZETA), and ApeCoin (APE). Additionally, Xai (XAI), Stark (STRK), ApeCoin (APE), Pixels (PIXEL), and Yield Guild Games (YGG) also stand out.