DYDX, IO, SUI, and Other Major Token Unlocks to Watch in July 2024

In July, several crypto projects, including dYdX, Sui, IO, and Galxe, will have token unlocks. As the trending projects in DeFi and Web3 applications, these token unlocks might impact the balance of supply and demand and affect the price of the involved tokens.

• Over 40 projects are set to release a combined total of $755 million in crypto assets as their vesting periods conclude. 

• Significant token releases include AltLayer's $125 million unlock, Xai's $93 million, and Aptos' $77 million, among others. 

• These events are critical to monitor for their short-term and long-term effects on market dynamics.

Token unlocks refer to the release of previously locked tokens as their vesting period concludes. This mechanism prevents early investors and team members from selling large amounts of tokens immediately, thereby helping to maintain market stability during the early phases of a project.

Token unlocks will add more supply to the market circulation and increase selling pressure on digital assets, potentially putting downward pressure on their prices. While planned releases aim to avoid drastic market drops, factors like lack of liquidity or early investor profit-taking can significantly impact an asset’s dynamics.

According to Token Unlocks, around $755 million worth of crypto assets will be released in July. Here are the major token unlocks to watch as per a report on BeInCrypto:

Unlock Date: July 1
Amount: 8.33 million DYDX

dYdX, a decentralized exchange, is set to unlock 8.33 million DYDX tokens on July 1, 2024, part of a larger vesting schedule designed to gradually release tokens to investors and team members. This token unlock is part of a structured plan where 20% of the total tokens are being released in equal monthly installments from July 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025. The tokens will be distributed among the community treasury, rewards treasury, and liquidity providers, aiming to enhance the platform's decentralization and incentivize participation in the network's security and governance. 

Read more: dYdX: A Beginner's Guide to the Decentralized Exchange

Unlock Date: July 1
Amount: 64.19 million SUI

Sui, a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain, will release a significant portion of tokens on July 1, 2024. These tokens are primarily allocated to its Series A and B participants, community reserve, and the Mysten Labs treasury. The Series A and B allocations specifically support early investors and contributors, while the community reserve and Mysten Labs treasury allocations aim to fund ongoing development and operational costs. These tokens will enhance liquidity and facilitate various on-chain activities, including staking, transaction fees, and governance voting, which are critical for the network’s functionality and security. 

Unlock Date: July 1
Amount: 7.5 million IO

io.net will unlock 7.5 million IO tokens on July 1. The project aggregates underutilized GPUs from various sources, including data centers, crypto miners, and independent hardware networks, to create a decentralized pool of computational power. This setup offers significant cost savings and improved accessibility for ML tasks and other computationally intensive operations. The initial token supply was set at 95 million out of a total cap of 800 million tokens, with the current unlock contributing to increased liquidity and network growth. This structured token release is part of io.net's broader strategy to incentivize community engagement and secure its network, ultimately driving the adoption of its decentralized computing solutions. 

Unlock Date: July 5
Amount: 3 million GAL

Galxe, a platform focused on Web3 credential infrastructure, will unlock 3 million GAL tokens on July 5, 2024. These tokens are allocated to its foundation, team, and community, facilitating governance, staking, and access to premium features on the platform. The tokens' distribution is designed to enhance community engagement and secure the network through staking activities. This unlock follows a structured vesting schedule, aiming to maintain network stability and support the ongoing development of the Galxe ecosystem.

Unlock Date: July 7
Amount: 13.62 million HFT

Hashflow, a decentralized exchange designed for seamless cross-chain trading, will release 13.62 million HFT tokens on July 7, 2024. This token unlock represents 1.84% of the circulating supply and is part of a structured vesting schedule aimed at distributing tokens to early investors, the core team, and for community rewards. The release is designed to incentivize network participation, enhance liquidity, and support the platform's ongoing development initiatives. 

Unlock Date: July 7
Amount: 14.89 million ENA

Ethena, a synthetic currency protocol on Ethereum, is set to unlock 14.89 million ENA tokens on July 7, 2024. This token unlock is part of a broader strategy to support ecosystem development. Ethena, known for its synthetic stablecoin USDe, uses these tokens to promote decentralized governance, incentivize network participants, and enhance liquidity within its platform. The ENA tokens allocated for this unlock are intended to foster ongoing project development and ensure the protocol's sustainability. This scheduled release aims to bolster community engagement and maintain the platform's growth trajectory by distributing tokens across various stakeholders, including early contributors and development initiatives. 

Unlock Date: July 9
Amount: $93 million in tokens

Xai, an emerging decentralized gaming ecosystem built on the Arbitrum network, will unlock $93 million worth of XAI tokens on July 9, 2024. This significant release is part of a broader strategy to support the project's ongoing development and ecosystem growth. The unlocked tokens are allocated to the team, investors, and reserves, with a focus on enhancing the project's infrastructure and fostering community engagement. Xai has recently gained attention due to a notable 40% price increase, reflecting growing interest and confidence in the token among the gaming community. This increase is partly fueled by a recent airdrop that distributed 125 million XAI tokens, worth approximately $70 million, to eligible users, further solidifying its market position and boosting its market cap to over $154 million. 

Unlock Date: July 16
Amount: $75 million in tokens

Arbitrum, a leading layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, is set to release $75 million worth of ARB tokens on July 16, 2024. This token unlock will distribute tokens primarily to team members, advisers, and investors as part of the project's structured vesting schedule. The release is significant, as previous token unlocks have shown substantial impacts on ARB's market price, leading to increased volatility and selling pressure. The community and market participants are closely monitoring this event due to its potential to influence short-term price dynamics and overall market sentiment. 

Unlock Date: July 16
Amount: 8.33 million UNI tokens
Value: $77.88 million

Uniswap will unlock 8.33 million UNI tokens on July 16, 2024, adding to its already circulating supply of around 753 million tokens. This unlock is part of Uniswap's four-year vesting schedule, aimed at gradually distributing its total supply of 1 billion UNI tokens to community members, team members, investors, and advisors. This unlock is significant as it aims to promote decentralized governance and continuous development within the Uniswap ecosystem, which has a strong impact on its market dynamics.

Read more: What Is Uniswap Decentralized Exchange (DEX)?

Unlock Date: July 24
Amount: 6.62 million WLD tokens daily over 730 days
Value: Approximately $18 million per day

Worldcoin (WLD), a project co-founded by Sam Altman of OpenAI, aims to establish the world's largest identity and financial network. Starting on July 24, 2024, Worldcoin will begin a significant token unlock, releasing 6.62 million WLD tokens daily over the next 730 days, valued at around $18 million per day. These tokens will be allocated to the community, the initial development team, and investors. The long-term release strategy is designed to support the project's growth, promote stability, and ensure broad distribution among users. 

Read more: What Is Worldcoin (WLD), and How to Get It? 

Unlock Date: July 25
Amount: 684 million ALT tokens
Value: Approximately $125 million

AltLayer, a decentralized protocol focused on enabling interoperable blockchain ecosystems, will unlock 684 million ALT tokens on July 25, 2024. This release represents the largest token unlock for the month and constitutes around 27% of AltLayer's current market capitalization. The unlocked tokens are allocated across various categories including the team, investors, advisers, protocol development, treasury ecosystem, and community initiatives. The strategic distribution aims to support the project's continued growth and operational stability, fostering a robust ecosystem for decentralized applications and cross-chain integrations. 

Unlock Date: July 27
Amount: 35.71 million RON tokens
Value: $76.32 million

Ronin, a blockchain protocol developed by Sky Mavis specifically for gaming applications like Axie Infinity, will unlock 35.71 million RON tokens on July 27, 2024. This release is significant due to its high value and the protocol's pivotal role in the gaming ecosystem. The RON tokens are allocated across several categories including the community, team, staking rewards, and the ecosystem fund. Sky Mavis, which owns 30% of the total RON supply, uses its allocation to support employee bonuses and shareholder contracts. The unlocked tokens are expected to enhance liquidity and incentivize participation in the network, contributing to the overall stability and growth of the Ronin ecosystem​. 

Unlock Date: July
Amount: 11.31 million APT tokens
Value: $77 million

Aptos, a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain, will continue its scheduled monthly token releases with an upcoming unlock of 11.31 million APT tokens in July 2024, valued at approximately $77 million. These tokens are allocated to the Aptos Foundation, community initiatives, core contributors, and private investors. The project’s strategic token release plan is designed to support its growth and development while ensuring a gradual increase in the circulating supply. Despite the structured approach, previous token unlocks have had notable impacts on the market, contributing to short-term price volatility. 

Read more: Top Crypto Projects and dApps in the Aptos Ecosystem

Beyond the tokens unlocks listed above, crypto projects including OP, IMX, and STRK will unlock substantial amounts of their native tokens in July, continuing their regular monthly releases.

• Optimism (OP): Known for its layer-2 scaling solutions on Ethereum, Optimism's monthly token unlocks aim to support its growing ecosystem and incentivize network participants.

• Immutable (IMX): Focused on scaling NFTs on Ethereum, Immutable regularly unlocks tokens to reward its ecosystem participants and fund development initiatives.

• Starknet (STRK): A layer-2 solution for Ethereum using ZK-rollups, Starknet's token unlocks are crucial for maintaining its development and operational incentives.

These unlocks are essential for these projects as they ensure continuous development and reward early supporters while potentially increasing selling pressure on the market. 

July's token unlocks are set to significantly impact the crypto market, with substantial releases across various projects potentially influencing market dynamics. As these tokens are unlocked, there is likely to be short-term downward pressure on token prices due to increased supply and potential selling by early investors and team members. For instance, the unlocks on January 12, 2024, and December 12, 2023, led to price decreases of 17.94% and 14.10%, respectively. Similarly, the Sui (SUI) token unlock on May 3, 2024, which added 34% of its circulating supply, and the dYdX (DYDX) unlock in the same month, adding 11% to the circulating supply, both resulted in bearish impacts on their prices​. 

While these unlocks are structured to support long-term project growth and ecosystem development, they come with inherent risks, including increased volatility and liquidity concerns. Investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough research to understand the specific dynamics of each project and the potential impacts of these token distributions.