More than $5.5 billion in cryptocurrencies are scheduled to unlock in January, with ONDO, BGB, HYPE and TRUMP tokens accounting for some of the biggest releases.
According to Tokenomist’s token unlocks data tracker, January will see over $5.5 billion in token unlocks. About $2.5 billion will be released through a cliff unlock, which means the tokens are unlocked all at once. Another $3 billion will enter circulation through linear releases, distributing tokens gradually over time, creating less abrupt supply increases.
Crypto vesting is the process of locking token allocations and releasing them over time to prevent early or sudden increases in circulating supplies. These schedules often include an initial lockup followed by periodic unlocks, aligning long-term incentives while managing market impact.
While token unlocks are a routine part of crypto’s vesting mechanics, large releases can sometimes influence price dynamics in the short term, when broader market liquidity is thin or if sentiment is fragile.

Related: Memecoins rip into 2026 with 23% market cap pump
Top four unlocks account for nearly $2 billion of January’s releases
The four largest token unlocks for the month include Ondo (ONDO), Bitget Token (BGB), Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Official Trump (TRUMP).
These collectively account for about $1.94 billion in incoming supply, representing 35% of the $5.5 billion scheduled to unlock in January.
Ondo leads the group with 1.9 billion tokens unlocking on Jan. 19, worth over $840 million at current market prices. Tokenomist data showed that the release is allocated to the founders, team members, community and private investors.
BGB follows with 140 million tokens scheduled to drop on Jan. 26, valued at almost $500 million. Of the total, 80 million tokens are allocated to the team, while 60 million will go to branding and promotions.
Hyperliquid will unlock 12.4 million tokens, worth $327 million, on Tuesday for its core contributors, making it the closest unlock in the group. It’s also the third-largest release for the month.
At the time of writing, HYPE traded at $26.41, bagging a 5.7% gain over the past 24 hours. The price data suggests short-term bullish momentum despite the upcoming token release.

Meanwhile, the official memecoin of US President Donald Trump is scheduled to release 50 million tokens worth $270 million on Jan. 18 for founders and team members.
Although smaller than ONDO and BGB, both unlocks remain significant given their market profiles and still contribute notable sums to January’s overall supply increase.
Magazine: Chinese users turn to ‘U cards’ to get around crypto rules: Asia Express
