The crypto market is preparing for a major wave of token unlocks in September, with an estimated $4.5 billion in vested assets scheduled for release, according to data from Tokenomist.
The report highlights that around $1.17 billion will be freed through cliff unlocks—large, one-off token releases that occur at the end of a lock-up period—while the remaining $3.36 billion will come from linear unlocks, which gradually release tokens over time. The expiration of these vesting agreements means a significant amount of supply will hit the market, reaching investors, teams, and early backers.
Cliff unlocks often create stronger price pressures due to sudden supply shocks, whereas linear unlocks tend to have a softer, more distributed effect on markets.
Key projects with major unlocks this month
Among the projects unlocking tokens in September, Sui (SUI) leads the way with over $153 million worth scheduled to be released. So far, only 35.1% of Sui’s total supply has entered circulation, leaving plenty of room for future emissions.
Fasttoken (FTN) follows, with about $90 million in new tokens set to be unlocked. However, FTN has already distributed more than 96% of its overall supply, meaning this release will have a relatively smaller impact compared to others.
Other large unlocks include:
- Aptos (APT): Nearly $50 million in tokens
- Arbitrum (ARB): Roughly $48 million set for release
- Starknet (STRK): About $16.85 million
- Sei (SEI): Around $16.49 million
- Immutable (IMX): Roughly $13.4 million
- ZK projects: About $10.7 million
Changing views on token unlocks
In the past, token unlocks were often met with “unlock anxiety” as investors braced for heavy selling pressure. But according to Vincent Kadar, CEO of security token platform Polymath, market sentiment has matured.
Kadar explained that sophisticated investors now look beyond the short-term effects of unlocks. Instead, they assess project fundamentals such as adoption, governance models, incentive alignment, and long-term tokenomics.
He added that this shift reflects a healthier industry outlook, with markets paying closer attention to sustainable growth rather than immediate supply shocks.
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