Key Notes
Over $657 million in altcoins are scheduled to enter circulation this week.
HYPE tops one-time unlocks with about $333 million in tokens becoming tradable.
The unlock arrives as the crypto market posted gains over the past day.
The first full trading week of 2026 opens with a large token supply unlock event. Data from Tokenomist shows over $657 million worth of altcoins are scheduled to enter circulation between Jan. 5 and Jan. 12.
Token unlocks raise near-term sell risk because new supply becomes available at once. The impact depends on size, timing, and how fast the market can absorb the tokens. This comes amid a short market bounce as Bitcoin and top altcoins posted gains over the past day.
These Tokens Face Supply Shock Risk
Over the next seven days, several one-time token unlocks worth more than $5 million are scheduled. These include Hyperliquid , Ethena , Aptos (APT), Linea (LINEA), and Movement (MOVE).
According to Tokenomist, major one-off token unlocks over the next seven days (each worth over $5 million) include HYPE, ENA, APT, LINEA, and MOVE. Major linear unlocks over the same period (daily unlocks worth over $1 million) include RAIN, SOL, TRUMP, WLD, RIVER, DOGE, AVAX,… pic.twitter.com/dMIPC0rpqM
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 5, 2026
These tokens face higher short-term price risk because this supply hits the market all at the same time. HYPE leads these unlocks with around $333 million in tokens set to enter circulation in a single release. This equals about 3.25% of the total HYPE supply becoming tradable at once.
Meanwhile, several large tokens face daily releases worth more than $1 million this week. These include Solana , Official Trump (TRUMP), Worldcoin (WLD), River (RIVER), Dogecoin , Avalanche , and others.
Related article: $60M HYPE Token Unlocking: Major Sell Event Inbound?
Linear unlocks spread supply over time, which lowers immediate stress on price.
An Altcoin Rally Ahead?
At the time of writing, many leading altcoins remain well below their all-time highs. SOL trades 54% down from its $294.3 peak. XRP also sits 44% below its $3.84 high, currently trading around $2.13.
The total crypto market cap has dropped by $1.13 trillion since early October and now stands near $3.15 trillion.
However, many analysts are optimistic about an altcoin rally in Q1 2026. Crypto expert Austin Hilton recently predicted that 2026 could see “one of the biggest altcoin seasons.”
If this trend continues…
We are headed for one of the biggest altcoin seasons – EVER! pic.twitter.com/4L9KVBwI8P
— Austin Hilton (@austinahilton) January 3, 2026
Interestingly, Binance flow data suggests that Enjin Coin (ENJ), Amp(AMP), and Smooth Love Potion (SLP) are showing the highest negative netflows this week. Tokens leaving exchanges reduce near-term sell supply and often lead to short bursts of upside.
Binance altcoin netflow | Source: CryptoQuant
Moreover, meme coins have also seen renewed interest recently. According to the data by CoinMarketCap, the meme sector market cap is currently around $47.04 billion, up 28% over the past week.
