3 Token Unlocks to Watch in the First Week of October 2026
In early October 2026, $1.11 billion worth of tokens will be unlocked for Hyperliquid (HYPE), Ethena (ENA), and Aptos (APT). Hyperliquid will unlock 3.75 million HYPE ($340M) on October 6, Ethena 171.88 million ENA ($41.52M) on October 5, and Aptos 11.31 million APT ($9.06M) on October 11. These unlocks may impact market volatility and short-term prices.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
New token supplies represent a combined $390 M of marketable assets, likely increasing short‑term volatility.
Market read
Upcoming token unlocks could pressure prices of HYPE, ENA, and APT and affect broader crypto market sentiment.
What to watch
Potential demand from new users or protocol upgrades could offset dilution effects.
Background
The article lists upcoming token unlocks for three major crypto projects in the first week of October 2026.
Ticker impact
Hyperliquid will unlock 3.75 million HYPE tokens on Oct 6, adding $340 M of supply to the market.
likely downward pressure as traders price in the new supply
The unlock represents 1.69% of released supply and is directed to a single institutional buyer, increasing sell‑side liquidity.
Ethena will release 171.88 million ENA tokens on Oct 5, worth $41.5 M, representing 1.88% of released supply.
potential short‑term pressure as market absorbs the added supply
The unlock adds a sizable amount of governance tokens, diluting existing holders.
Aptos will unlock 11.31 million APT tokens on Oct 11, valued at $9.06 M, about 0.64% of released supply.
likely modest pressure as new tokens enter circulation
Although the percentage of supply is small, the unlock adds fresh sell‑side liquidity.
Market effects
Increased token supply may dampen sentiment across DeFi and layer‑1 blockchain sectors.
Global crypto markets could see short‑term volatility as large holders adjust positions.
The $1.11 B of new supply across multiple projects is material for overall crypto market liquidity.
Counterpoint
If the institutional buyer holds the tokens long‑term, the unlock could be priced in without major price drops.
Key entities
- projectHyperliquid
Decentralized perpetual futures exchange on its own L1.
- projectEthena
Synthetic dollar protocol with governance token ENA.
- projectAptos
Layer‑1 blockchain using the Move language.
