October is shaping up to be a pivotal month for the crypto market, with more than $1 billion worth of tokens preparing to enter circulation. A series of major token unlocks from leading projects, including Aptos, Ethereum Name Service (ENS), ImmutableX, and Bittensor, is set to test market resilience and liquidity. With billions in previously locked assets set to move freely, investors are bracing for heightened volatility and short-term price fluctuations across the board.
According to data from DefiLlama, between October 4 and November 4, 2025, about $1.051 billion worth of crypto tokens will be released from vesting contracts . Many blockchain projects use locking or vesting periods to prevent early investors from selling immediately after launch, helping maintain price stability and investor confidence.
Once these restrictions are lifted, however, the sudden increase in circulating supply can put downward pressure on prices if demand fails to keep pace, making unlock schedules a key focus for traders monitoring market movements.
The wave already began on October 5, with Aethir releasing 65.58 million of its digital coins, followed by Aptos with 58.75 million. Flare added 44.73 million, while Big Time contributed 32.07 million to circulation.
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) unlocked 19.82 million tokens, while ImmutableX added 17.65 million. Other projects on the unlock schedule included Celestia with 9.62 million, Bouncebit with 7.93 million, Delysium with 4.27 million, and Stepn with 2.66 million.
A week later, on October 12, several major token unlocks are expected across key projects:
Smaller unlocks from Celestia, Apecoin, Zetachain, and other projects will add around 4.67 million more tokens. Later in the month, TON will conduct one of the largest unlocks, freeing 102.89 million tokens, followed by LayerZero’s 55.03 million and Avalanche’s 50.14 million.
Additional releases from Kaito, Melania’s meme coin, Tornado Cash , and Orderly are expected between October 19 and November 2, adding further liquidity to the market. As these events unfold, market participants will closely monitor trading volumes, price reactions, and overall sentiment as billions in newly unlocked tokens enter the market.