Key Highlights
- Around $155 million in cliff token unlocks was scheduled for October 12–18, according to Tokenomist’s October 11 data.
- Cronos (CRO) leads the highlighted releases at about $70.67 million, equal to 2.33% of its unlocked supply.
- Arbitrum (ARB) has an estimated $17.57 million unlock, while Starknet (STRK) and Connex (CONX) account for about $13.20 million and $12.03 million, respectively.
Around $155 million worth of cliff token unlocks is scheduled across several crypto projects from October 12 to 18, with Cronos, Arbitrum, Starknet, Connex and deBridge among the largest releases highlighted by Tokenomist.
Tokenomist’s October 12 report lists unlocks of different sizes and proportions of token supply. CRO has the largest estimated dollar release among the highlighted assets, while DBR’s scheduled unlock represents about 10% of its circulating supply. Token unlocks make previously restricted tokens available to designated recipients. Their release does not necessarily mean recipients will sell the tokens.
CRO leads upcoming token unlocks
Cronos (CRO) has the largest highlighted cliff unlock by value, at approximately $70.67 million, equivalent to 2.33% of its unlocked supply, according to Tokenomist. The release is scheduled for October 17, two weeks after the Cronos community approved a plan to burn 228 million CRO and use product revenue to fund additional buybacks and burns.
The proposed measures could reduce supply over time, but their impact will depend on implementation and the amount of CRO ultimately burned.
ARB, STRK and CONX also face releases
Three other tokens feature among the largest highlighted unlocks for the week:
Cliff Value Unlock snapshot of October 11 | Source: Tokenomist
- Arbitrum (ARB): Approximately $17.57 million, equal to 1.56% of unlocked supply.
- Starknet (STRK): Approximately $13.20 million, equal to 3.37% of unlocked supply.
- Connex (CONX): Approximately $12.03 million, equal to 1.39% of unlocked supply.
These figures come from Tokenomist’s October 11 snapshot. The percentages refer to the chart’s measure of unlocked supply and should not be interpreted as percentages of total token supply.
DBR unlock represents about 10% of circulating supply
deBridge’s DBR token is scheduled for a cliff unlock on October 17, releasing 605 million DBR worth approximately $11.69 million, according to Tokenomist. The release represents about 10% of circulating supply, making it the largest relative unlock among the five highlighted tokens by value in the report.
Tokenomist’s allocation breakdown indicates that roughly 40% of the tranche is assigned to core contributors and strategic partners across its Founder/Team and Private Investors categories. The remaining allocations include community, public-investor, and reserve categories.
DBR buybacks linked to protocol earnings
Tokenomist reported that the deBridge Foundation’s Reserve Fund has directed 100% of deBridge protocol earnings toward DBR buybacks on public markets since mid-2025. The buybacks could provide demand for DBR, but they do not guarantee that purchases will offset the upcoming unlock. Their impact depends on protocol revenue and actual market purchases.
According to Tokenomist, deBridge’s scheduled token distribution extends into 2028.
NEAR discusses lower token issuance
Separately, NEAR Protocol is considering a proposal to reduce its maximum annual token issuance from 2.5% to 1.6% over 24 months. The proposal would gradually lower issuance each epoch while retaining the existing 90/10 split between staking participants and the treasury.
In an October 1 post on X, NEAR highlighted a governance discussion from Sal Ternullo, CEO of SVRN, inviting validators, House of Stake delegates, and the wider community to provide feedback. A formal proposal was subsequently posted to the NEAR governance forum on October 7 and remains a draft requiring further governance action.
The proposal is separate from the scheduled unlocks. Unlocks release existing tokens to designated recipients, while reducing issuance would lower the amount of new NEAR created under the protocol. The longer-term idea of moving toward a fixed total supply remains a separate discussion.
Earlier Token Unlocks Involving YZY, APT, STRK and ARB
Token unlock schedules have continued to bring large batches of previously restricted crypto assets into circulation. The Crypto Times reported on an August 10–16 schedule that included a YZY unlock equivalent to about 23% of its circulating supply.
Earlier, an April 30 report examined approximately $2.24 billion in scheduled May unlocks, including releases involving Aptos (APT), Starknet (STRK) and Arbitrum (ARB).
These schedules cover different periods, and the reported unlock values do not indicate whether recipients sold the tokens after release.
What to watch in the October unlock schedule
CRO has the largest estimated dollar unlock among the highlighted tokens, while DBR represents the largest relative release. ARB, STRK and CONX account for additional scheduled unlocks during the week.
The figures are estimates based on Tokenomist data dated October 11, 2026. Dollar values may change with token prices, and the schedule alone does not establish whether recipients will sell their tokens.
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