• Massive Token Release: June 2025 sees $3.2 billion crypto token unlocks, with $1.4 billion concentrated in second half, creating unprecedented market pressure.

  • High-Risk Projects: SUI, ZKsync, and Aptos face severe selling pressure as unlock ratios exceed 20% of circulating supply, threatening price stability.

  • Strategic Risk Management: Investors should reduce positions 48 hours before unlocks, monitor whale movements, and avoid bottom-fishing during initial volatility periods.

June 2025 crypto markets face $3.2B token unlock wave led by SUI, ZKsync, APT. Massive supply pressure threatens prices as cliff unlocks exceed market capacity. Critical risk management strategies revealed.

EVENT OVERVIEW: RECORD UNLOCK VOLUMES THREATEN MARKET BALANCE

 

Token Unlocks data reveals that June 2025 will witness over $3.2 billion in token releases. The second half of June (June 16-30) concentrates approximately $1.4 billion in unlocks across major projects including SUI, ZRO, APT, and ZK tokens.

 

This unlock wave primarily features “cliff unlocks”—one-time mass releases that represent 43.7% of total volumes. This concentration far exceeds current market absorption capacity, creating unprecedented supply pressure.

 

Most concerning are projects facing extremely high unlock ratios relative to their circulating supply:

 

  • LayerZero (ZRO): June 21 unlocks 24.68 million tokens (22.2% of circulation), worth $64.29 million.

  • ZKsync (ZK): June 18 releases 770 million tokens (20.9% of circulation), valued at $46.58 million.

 

Such disproportionate unlock ratios typically trigger severe selling pressure. Projects with inadequate liquidity may experience catastrophic “death spiral” declines.

 

CORE PROJECT ANALYSIS: THREE HIGH-VOLATILITY TARGETS

 

SUI: Early Investor Selling Pressure Intensifies

 

June 17 witnesses SUI unlock 58.35 million tokens worth approximately $206 million. Crucially, Series B investors holding $70 million worth of shares gain access to previously locked positions. Their original cost basis equals merely one-quarter of public sale prices, creating overwhelming profit-taking incentives.

 

On-chain monitoring reveals that at least three addresses holding over one million SUI tokens have already transferred assets to major exchanges. Complete liquidation of these positions would require approximately $120 million in sustained buying support. However, SUI’s daily trading volume averages only $380 million, exposing critical liquidity vulnerabilities.

 

Aptos (APT): Ecosystem Development Battles Selling Pressure

 

June 18 triggers APT’s release of 11.31 million tokens (1.79% of circulation), valued at $58.52 million. Despite seemingly modest unlock ratios, token distribution heavily concentrates among team members and private investors with concerning track records.

 

These same private investors previously liquidated over $60 million worth of APT during March 2024, causing devastating 14% single-day price crashes. Current APT prices have already retreated 35% from yearly highs. Concentrated selling pressure following this unlock may force prices to test critical support levels once again.

 

ZKsync (ZK): Distribution Controversy Fuels Trust Crisis

 

ZK prepares to unlock 770 million tokens (20.9% of circulation) on June 18, with over 80% flowing directly to internal teams and early advisors. Community members have vehemently criticized these distribution mechanisms as “heavily favoring internal interests” while retail holders represent less than 5% of total token supply.

 

Historical precedent proves troubling: ZK’s April 2024 unlock of 120 million tokens triggered brutal 28% weekly price declines. This significantly larger-scale unlock threatens to amplify market panic exponentially.

 

MARKET IMPACT: MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SUPPLY-DEMAND DISRUPTION

 

Systematic Downside Risk: CoinGecko analytics demonstrate that projects experiencing 10%+ circulation unlocks average devastating 28% seven-day declines post-release. Connex (CONX) exemplifies this pattern—its March 2025 unlock increased circulation by 376%, triggering catastrophic 38.4% single-day crashes.

 

Critical Liquidity Depletion: NEON perfectly illustrates these severe liquidity risks. Its pending June unlock represents 22.5% of total circulation, yet recent seven-day trading volumes register absolute zero dollars. Post-unlock scenarios may produce “cliff crashes” with virtually no exit opportunities for trapped investors.

 

Stark Investor Sentiment Divergence: Sophisticated institutional investors deploy advanced futures hedging and quantitative arbitrage strategies for comprehensive risk management. Conversely, retail investors lacking sophisticated risk controls frequently become unwilling “bag holders” during widespread panic selling episodes.

 

INVESTOR RESPONSE STRATEGIES: COMPREHENSIVE RISK MITIGATION FRAMEWORK

 

Strategic Position Management Priority

 

Ultra-high risk projects (ZK, NEON): Execute complete liquidation or aggressive reduction to under 10% exposure within 48 hours preceding unlock events.

 

Medium-risk projects (APT, SUI): Maintain conservative 30% base positions while implementing dynamic stop-loss orders (5-8% below current market prices).

 

Advanced Data Monitoring Infrastructure

 

Continuously track Token Unlocks real-time progression data. If exchange inflows exceed 20% of total token supply within 24 hours pre-unlock, immediately execute comprehensive exit strategies without hesitation.

 

Utilize Nansen analytics to monitor whale address movements meticulously, including large-scale exchange transfers or sudden staking pool reductions that signal impending liquidations.

 

Extreme Market Condition Protocols

 

Activate exchange “lightning sell” functions ensuring priority order execution before complete liquidity evaporation occurs.

 

Strictly avoid bottom-fishing attempts within 24 hours post-unlock. Instead, patiently await clear market sentiment stabilization signals, such as three consecutive days of sustained USDT/USDC capital inflows.

 

INDUSTRY REFLECTION: TOKENOMICS UNDER INTENSIVE SCRUTINY

 

This massive unlock wave exposes three fundamental flaws plaguing current token distribution mechanisms:

 

  • Misguided Short-term Profit Orientation: Most projects concentrate token allocations among early investors rather than genuine ecosystem builders, inevitably creating concentrated selling pressure following unlock events.

  • Dangerous Transparency Deficits: Projects like ZKsync systematically fail to disclose comprehensive internal unlock schedules, directly triggering widespread community trust crises and market uncertainty.

  • Critical Liquidity Management Failures: Project teams consistently lack essential buyback mechanisms, token burn programs, and other volatility-dampening tools, unnecessarily amplifying market disruptions.

 

In stark contrast, Starknet (STRK) demonstrates superior practices through carefully orchestrated phased linear release schedules. This methodical approach successfully controls post-unlock price volatility within manageable 5% ranges, providing valuable industry reference solutions.

 

CONCLUSION: DISCOVERING CERTAINTY WITHIN PERVASIVE UNCERTAINTY

 

These massive unlock waves simultaneously represent acute market risks and effective ecosystem quality filters. Only projects featuring sound tokenomics design and demonstrably sustained ecosystem activity can successfully achieve meaningful value recovery following severe liquidity shock events.

 

As prominent crypto analyst Lin Xi astutely observes: “Token unlocks aren’t definitive endpoints—they function as rigorous litmus tests revealing true project quality and long-term viability.” Successful investors must steadfastly maintain analytical rationality throughout extreme volatility periods to ultimately capture substantial long-term excess returns in this evolving market landscape.

〈Massive Token Unlock Wave Hits Market〉這篇文章最早發佈於《CoinRank》。