Layer 1 blockchain Aptos, founded by ex-Meta execs, releases 24.8 million APT -4.97% tokens today — comprising 8.9% of its circulating supply, according to TokenUnlocks — worth approximately $201.7 million.

The majority — some $96.4 million of the unlock — is for core contributors. $68.4 million for investors, $26.1 million for the community and $10.8 million for the Aptos Foundation, TokenUnlocks data states.

The token unlocks are tracked according to the details in Aptos' tokenomics overview. A spokesperson from TokenUnlocks said the tokens may not necessarily be claimed on this exact day. This could be due to staking rewards altering the vesting schedule or if the team doesn't immediately claim the tokens when they are unlocked, they said.

While the tokens were unlocked on Dec. 12, it is up to the token holder to claim the tokens, according to the TokenUnlocks spokesperson. For previous unlocks, such tokens have been claimed days after the initial unlock date.

Responding to disputes regarding the date of the Aptos unlock, TokenUnlocks founder Tanawat Chiewhawan posted on X, "From our onchain investigation, the Dec. 12 unlock date on TokenUnlocks is still correct but the reason for 1-2 days shifts is because of the 'staking locked up' part that needs to be included in the claiming process."

Aptos did not respond to a request for comment from The Block.

Following the release of the same amount of APT tokens during its Nov. 12 unlock, the price of APT fell 13.4% from $7.82 to $6.77 in the following nine days before recovering, according to The Block’s price data. The token currently trades at $8.09 — up 3.4% since the last unlock amid generally bullish crypto market conditions.

APT/USD price chart. Image: The Block/TradingView.

Aptos is a relatively new Layer 1 blockchain based on the Move programming language developed at Meta that aims to offer a faster and more scalable alternative to other networks. However, Aptos encountered a five-hour outage in October, prompting some crypto exchanges — including Binance, OKX, and Upbit — to suspend deposits and withdrawals of APT temporarily.

Significant ApeCoin and Optimism token unlocks are still to come

ApeCoin and Optimism are among the largest remaining unlocks this year. They are set to release $26 million worth of APE -4.86% and $56 million worth of OP -4.94% on Dec. 17 and Dec. 30, respectively, per TokenUnlocks data.

ApeCoin, the governance token of the ApeCoin DAO and connected to the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT community, will release 15.6 million APE tokens on Dec. 17 — 4.2% of its circulating supply, currently worth $25.9 million.

Ethereum Layer 2 Optimism (OP Mainnet) is releasing 24.2 million OP tokens on Dec. 30. Representing 2.7% of its circulating supply, the unlock is currently worth $56.1 million.

This story has been updated to explain why the token claims may not happen on the exact day as TokenUnlocks' unlock date.