7 Major Crypto Token Unlocks This Week: APT, AVAX, STRK in Focus

Over $50 million in crypto tokens from APT, AVAX, STRK, and 4 other projects are set to unlock this week. We analyze each unlock’s market impact, price predictions, and what it means for investors.

This Week’s Major Token Unlocks: A $50M+ Supply Influx

The crypto market braces for a significant wave of token supply releases this week, with seven major projects scheduled to unlock approximately $50 million in combined value. According to data from Token Unlocks, these events span from February 9th to 15th, potentially introducing fresh volatility as new tokens enter circulating supply.

Token unlocks are scheduled releases of previously locked tokens to team members, investors, and community treasuries. While essential for project development and incentivization, these events often create selling pressure as recipients may liquidate their newly accessible holdings. This week’s batch is particularly noteworthy for its diversity, covering Layer 1 blockchains, DeFi protocols, and gaming ecosystems.

Investors are closely watching the impact on individual token prices and broader market sentiment. With several assets already in downtrends, these unlocks could test key support levels or, conversely, present accumulation opportunities if the market absorbs the new supply without major price deterioration. Understanding the specifics of each unlock is crucial for navigating the week ahead.

Aptos (APT) Unlock: Can It Hold the $1 Support?

Unlock Date: February 10

Tokens Unlocking: 11.31 million APT

Value: ~$12.3 million

Percentage of Circulating Supply: 0.69%

Aptos, the high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, faces a critical test. A $12.3 million token unlock arrives as APT price hovers near the psychologically crucial $1.00 support level. The token has already seen a 39% decline over the past month, and this new supply introduces additional inflation risk into a weak market structure.

The unlock allocation goes to core contributors, the community, and investors. Notably, over 50% of the unlocked tokens (worth roughly $6.58 million) are destined for community and investor wallets, a segment historically more likely to sell upon receipt. This raises the potential for immediate sell-side pressure on exchanges.

However, not all signals are bearish. On-chain data shows some resilience, with Aptos’s Total Value Locked (TVL) increasing by over $14 million recently. Furthermore, weekly exchange netflows indicate consistent accumulation, with $2.03 million worth of APT leaving exchanges this week alone. The key question is whether this underlying demand can absorb the incoming supply without breaking the $1 support, a level whose breach could lead to new all-time lows.

The APT Price Conundrum: Inflation vs. Accumulation

The Aptos unlock presents a classic clash of opposing market forces:

• Inflationary Pressure: The 0.69% increase in circulating supply, while seemingly small, enters a market with weak altcoin sentiment. This can disproportionately impact price.
• Technical Exhaustion: The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is deeply oversold, often a precursor to a technical bounce if broader market conditions stabilize.
• On-Chain Divergence: Rising TVL and exchange outflows suggest “smart money” may be accumulating at these lower levels, betting on the ecosystem’s long-term health over short-term unlock fears.
• Macro Environment: The token’s fate is tied to overall crypto market strength. A broader recovery could help APT weather the unlock better than expected.

Avalanche (AVAX) and Starknet (STRK) Face Key Unlocks

Two other major Layer 1 networks have significant unlocks this week, each with its own context and potential impact.

Avalanche (AVAX) Unlock:

• Date: February 11
• Tokens Unlocking: 1.67 million AVAX
• Value: ~$15.2 million
• % of Circulating Supply: 0.32%

Avalanche’s unlock, while a smaller percentage of circulating supply than others, represents a substantial $15.2 million in value. AVAX has shown relative strength compared to other altcoins, but the unlock will test its momentum. The tokens are typically allocated for staking rewards, ecosystem development, and team treasury. Given AVAX’s established ecosystem and focus on institutional adoption, the market may absorb this unlock with less volatility, but it remains a headline risk during a fragile period.

Starknet (STRK) Unlock:

• Date: February 15
• Tokens Unlocking: 127 million STRK
• Value: ~$6.3 million
• % of Circulating Supply: 4.61%

Starknet’s unlock is notable for its large percentage of circulating supply—nearly 5%. As a leading Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution using zk-rollup technology, STRK has faced price pressure since its launch. A 4.61% supply increase in a single day is a significant inflationary event. The unlock is primarily for early contributors and investors. Given the token’s recent performance and the sheer size of the unlock relative to its market, STRK could experience heightened volatility, making it one of the week’s highest-risk events.

Other Notable Unlocks: LINEA, SEI, ME, and MOVE

Beyond the headliners, four other projects will release tokens, impacting their respective niche markets.

Linea (LINEA):

The ConsenSys-built Ethereum Layer 2 unlocks ~4.38 million tokens (worth ~$4.38M, 5.96% of circulation) on February 10. As a relatively new network integrating tightly with MetaMask, its unlock will be a test of its early community’s conviction.

Sei (SEI):

The high-speed trading-focused blockchain unlocks 55.56 million SEI (~$4.2M, 1.03% of circulation) on February 15. Sei V2’s recent upgrade to Ethereum compatibility makes this a key period to watch for developer and user growth amid the unlock.

ME and MOVE (Double Trouble on Feb 9):

• ME (Memecoin): Unlocks 1.48 million tokens (~$1.48M, 2.32% of circulation). Memecoins are particularly sensitive to supply shocks due to their speculative nature.
• MOVE (DeFi): Unlocks a massive 164 million tokens (~$3.8M, 5.46% of circulation). This large percentage increase could lead to pronounced price action for this smaller-cap asset.

What Are Token Unlocks and Why Do They Matter?

For new investors, the concept of token unlocks is fundamental to crypto economics. Most blockchain projects don’t release their entire token supply at launch. Instead, tokens are allocated to founders, team members, investors, and community treasuries with a “vesting schedule” – a lock-up period followed by gradual releases or “cliffs” (large one-time unlocks).

These unlocks matter for several reasons:

1. Supply and Demand: They increase the circulating supply. If demand doesn’t increase proportionally, the price can drop due to simple economics.
2. Selling Pressure: Early investors, team members, and advisors often receive tokens at very low prices. When tokens unlock, these holders may sell to realize profits, creating immediate selling pressure on exchanges.
3. Market Sentiment: Large upcoming unlocks are often viewed as a negative catalyst, leading to pre-emptive selling in the days or weeks before the event—a phenomenon known as “sell the news.”
4. Project Health Test: A token’s ability to weather a major unlock without crashing can signal strong long-term holder belief and healthy underlying demand for the network’s utility.

How Should Investors Navigate Token Unlock Weeks?

Navigating weeks with heavy unlock schedules requires a disciplined strategy. Here are several approaches based on risk tolerance:

For Conservative Investors:

• Monitor, Don’t Trade: Use the week to observe how different projects and the overall market absorb the supply. This data is valuable for future investment decisions.
• Focus on Resilience: Identify tokens that hold key support levels despite their unlock. This relative strength can be a bullish signal for future performance.
• Avoid High-Percentage Unlocks: Generally, an unlock representing over 3-5% of circulating supply carries higher risk, especially for smaller-cap projects.

For Tactical Traders:

• Watch for “Sell the Rumor, Buy the News”: Sometimes, the majority of selling happens in anticipation of the unlock. The actual unlock day can sometimes trigger a short-term rebound if the event was overly feared.
• Analyze Allocation: Unlocks for ecosystem/community funds (often used for grants and incentives) are less likely to be immediately sold than unlocks for early private investors.
• Use Technical Levels: Combine unlock data with technical analysis. An unlock occurring at a key historical support level or amidst oversold conditions (low RSI) can create a high-risk, high-reward setup.

Long-Term Mindset:

• See It as a Buying Opportunity: For believers in a project’s fundamentals, a price dip caused by a predictable unlock can be an attractive entry point. The key is distinguishing between temporary sell pressure and a broken fundamental thesis.
• Assess Project Fundamentals: Look beyond the unlock. Is the project’s TVL growing? Are developer activity and user transactions increasing? Strong fundamentals can overcome temporary supply gluts.

Ultimately, this week’s unlocks are a reminder of the importance of crypto calendar awareness. By understanding the schedule, the amounts, and the context, investors can make more informed decisions and potentially avoid costly surprises in a market already full of volatility.