ApeCoin (APE) Set For Upcoming Token Unlock, Bearish Pressure To Worsen?

ApeCoin (APE) will undergo a token unlock valued at $16.69 million. This development comes amidst the token’s bearish price action, which has led to it losing half its market value in Q3 2023. 

According to data from TokenUnlocks, ApeCoin’s next token unlock is set to occur on October 17, during which the ApeCoin DAO will release 15.60 million new APE tokens into circulation. 

This will mark the tenth APE token unlock in 2023, as this event occurs on the seventeenth day of every month. Based on more information from TokenUnlocks, the newly released APE coins will be allocated to five major parties. 

These include Yuga Labs and its founder, the ApeCoin DAO Treasury, charity, and the project’s launch contributors, i.e., early investors in the token before its official launch. Upon release, tokens are expected to form 4.23% of APE’s circulating supply.

ApeCoin was launched in March 2022, with a maximum supply of 1 billion tokens, of which 54.25% are currently unlocked. However, only 367.59 million APE are part of the token’s circulating supply.

Generally, token unlocks are usually accompanied by concerns of an incoming downward trend. This is because the sudden availability of large amounts of tokens may prompt some investors to sell and take profit, which puts downward pressure on the said token’s price.

As earlier stated, APE already finds itself stuck in a long bearish market. Although the token is only down by 2.79% in the last month, its overall performance in 2023 has been largely negative.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, APE has lost 70% of its value in 2023 compared to its market price as of January 1. 

APE could soon record more losses with the token unlock set for next week. However, that may not be the case. Based on historical data, token unlocks do not always result in a price loss, as notably seen with Aptos in January, in which the APT gained by 50% following its monthly token release. 

Moreover, there have been some interesting developments surrounding ApeCoin in the last week. On October 11, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Narwal proposed on the ApeCoin DAO the development of an exclusive layer 2 solution for ApeCoin, known as “ApeChain.”

Currently, APE is based on the Ethereum Network, and it functions as the governance asset of the APE ecosystem, which consists of NFT projects launched by Yuga Labs, such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). 

However, creating ApeChain could enable Apecoin to achieve a higher level of scalability, which, in turn, could positively affect its adoption and market price.

APE trades at $1.06 when writing, with a 1.47% gain in the last day. Meanwhile, the token’s daily volume is down by 16.96%, valued at $19.32 million.