The digital asset market heads into a pivotal week as more than $180 million worth of tokens prepare to enter circulation between February 16 and February 22, 2026.
The scheduled unlocks span multiple ecosystems and sectors, signaling a period of heightened liquidity, shifting supply dynamics, and potential volatility across several mid- to large-cap tokens.
According to data shared by Top7ICO, the upcoming unlock calendar highlights a concentrated release schedule early in the week, followed by staggered distributions that could influence trading behavior through the weekend.
Token unlock events are closely watched by traders and investors because they increase circulating supply, often altering short-term price action while reshaping long-term valuation models. With multiple projects unlocking simultaneously, market participants are preparing for liquidity shifts that may ripple across derivatives, spot markets, and on-chain activity.
Aster Leads With The Largest Scheduled Release
At the center of next week’s unlock cycle is $ASTER, which dominates the calendar both in token count and dollar value. On February 17, the project is set to release 78.41 million tokens, worth approximately $57.9 million, making it the single largest unlock of the week.
This sizable distribution represents a meaningful increase in available supply and positions ASTER as a key driver of overall market volume during the period. Large unlocks often attract heightened attention because they can influence liquidity depth, trading spreads, and short-term sentiment.
Market observers will be watching closely to see whether the newly unlocked tokens flow into exchanges, remain within treasury allocations, or move into ecosystem incentives. Each scenario carries different implications for price stability and network growth.
The ASTER unlock alone accounts for a significant share of the total weekly value, reinforcing its role as the headline event in the broader unlock cycle.
Mid-Tier Unlocks Signal Broad Market Participation
Beyond ASTER, several mid-sized releases contribute to the week’s cumulative value, indicating that supply expansion will be distributed across multiple sectors rather than concentrated in a single narrative.
$ZRO follows as the second-largest event, with $46.2 million scheduled for February 20. This release arrives later in the week, potentially extending liquidity effects beyond the initial surge on Monday and Tuesday.
On February 17, $YZY will add $20.6 million to circulation, overlapping with ASTER’s major release and amplifying mid-week supply pressure. Meanwhile, $ESPORTS plans a $13.2 million unlock on February 19, aligning with a cluster of mid-week distributions that could collectively shape trading volumes.
Stablecoin-adjacent infrastructure also appears on the calendar, with $STBL unlocking $11.4 million on February 16, the first day of the cycle. This early release may set the tone for liquidity conditions as markets react to the initial influx.
Ecosystem Tokens Add To Supply Expansion
Layer-2 and ecosystem-driven tokens also feature prominently, underscoring how unlock cycles increasingly span infrastructure projects rather than being limited to emerging tokens.
$ARB, a widely tracked ecosystem asset, will release $10.9 million on February 16, coinciding with STBL’s unlock and creating an early-week liquidity bump. On February 20, $KAITO adds another $10.6 million, reinforcing supply expansion during the latter half of the week.
These unlocks may influence ecosystem-specific metrics such as total value locked (TVL), staking participation, and governance activity. When infrastructure tokens unlock, capital often rotates within the ecosystem, potentially stimulating network usage even as short-term selling pressure emerges.
Such dynamics highlight how token unlocks no longer represent isolated events but rather interconnected liquidity shifts across multiple chains and applications.
Smaller Releases Round Out The Weekly Calendar
While large and mid-tier events dominate headlines, smaller unlocks collectively contribute meaningful incremental supply.
$PENGU is set to release $5.2 million on February 17, adding to the day’s already heavy schedule. Later in the week, $RIVER will unlock $4.8 million on February 22, extending the cycle into the weekend and potentially influencing end-of-week positioning.
$ZK completes the calendar with $3.9 million scheduled for February 19, bringing additional liquidity to markets mid-week. Though individually modest, these releases can still affect token-specific volatility, particularly in thinner order books where incremental supply changes price dynamics more noticeably.
Together, these smaller events ensure that liquidity expansion remains steady throughout the week rather than tapering off after the largest releases.
Market Implications And What Traders Are Watching
The convergence of multiple unlocks within a single week creates a complex environment where supply growth intersects with market sentiment, macro conditions, and trading flows. Historically, token unlocks can lead to short-term volatility as participants adjust positions, hedge exposure, or capitalize on increased liquidity.
However, the long-term impact often depends on how projects deploy newly unlocked tokens. Allocations directed toward ecosystem development, partnerships, or incentives can strengthen network fundamentals, while large transfers to exchanges may introduce temporary downward pressure.
Traders are also monitoring derivatives markets for shifts in funding rates and open interest, which can signal whether the market anticipates selling pressure or views the unlocks as largely priced in. On-chain analysts, meanwhile, will track wallet movements to identify whether tokens remain dormant, move to staking contracts, or enter active circulation.
With more than $180 million entering the market in just seven days, the upcoming unlock cycle represents one of the more concentrated liquidity events of the quarter. As the week unfolds, price reactions, trading volumes, and capital flows will offer insight into how resilient current market demand is against expanding supply.
For now, the unlock schedule serves as a reminder of how tokenomics continues to shape market structure, not only through headline events like ASTER’s dominant release, but through the cumulative effect of multiple projects expanding their circulating supply at once.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
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Source: https://nulltx.com/aster-dominates-upcoming-token-unlock-cycle-with-58m-distribution/
