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WBT Token Unlock: 39.49 Million Tokens Worth $1.19 Billion to be Released on May 13th – Trading Impact for Whitebit Holders | Flash News Detail | Blockchain.News
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5/12/2025 6:32:26 AM

WBT Token Unlock: 39.49 Million Tokens Worth $1.19 Billion to be Released on May 13th – Trading Impact for Whitebit Holders

WBT Token Unlock: 39.49 Million Tokens Worth $1.19 Billion to be Released on May 13th – Trading Impact for Whitebit Holders

According to Cas Abbé (@cas_abbe), a major WBT token unlock is scheduled for May 13th, with 39.49 million WBT tokens valued at $1.19 billion set to be released. As WBT is the native token of Whitebit, one of Europe's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, this significant increase in circulating supply could lead to heightened volatility and potential downward price pressure. Traders should monitor liquidity, price action, and exchange flows closely, as large unlock events often influence short-term trading strategies and market sentiment (source: Cas Abbé, Twitter, May 12, 2025).

Source

Analysis

The cryptocurrency market is bracing for a significant event as WhiteBIT Token (WBT), the native token of WhiteBIT, one of Europe’s largest exchanges, is set to undergo a massive token unlock on May 13, 2025. According to a widely circulated tweet by Cas Abbé posted on May 12, 2025, at approximately 10:00 AM UTC, a staggering 39.49 million WBT tokens, valued at around $1.19 billion at current market prices, will be unlocked. This unlock represents a substantial increase in the circulating supply of WBT, which could have profound implications for its price dynamics and overall market sentiment. As of May 12, 2025, at 12:00 PM UTC, WBT is trading at approximately $30.14 on major exchanges like WhiteBIT and Binance, with a 24-hour trading volume of $18.7 million, as reported by data from CoinGecko. The timing of this unlock comes at a critical juncture for the crypto market, with Bitcoin (BTC) hovering around $62,500 and Ethereum (ETH) at $2,450 as of the same timestamp. The broader market has shown mixed signals, with a slight uptick in risk appetite following positive movements in the S&P 500, which gained 0.8% to close at 5,815 on May 11, 2025, per Yahoo Finance data. This correlation between traditional markets and crypto suggests that external factors, including institutional flows, could amplify or mitigate the impact of the WBT unlock. Traders are now closely monitoring how this event could ripple across not just WBT but also related exchange tokens and the broader altcoin market.

From a trading perspective, the WBT token unlock on May 13, 2025, presents both risks and opportunities. Historically, large token unlocks can lead to downward price pressure due to potential selling by early investors or team members. As of May 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM UTC, the WBT/BTC trading pair on Binance shows a slight bearish divergence, with the price dipping 1.2% to 0.000482 BTC within the last 4 hours. Similarly, the WBT/USDT pair recorded a 0.9% decline to $30.05 in the same timeframe, alongside a 15% spike in trading volume to $5.3 million, indicating heightened market activity. This could signal early profit-taking or speculative positioning ahead of the unlock. For traders, key levels to watch include the $28.50 support, which aligns with the 50-day moving average, and resistance at $32.00, based on recent price action. Beyond WBT, this event could impact other exchange tokens like Binance Coin (BNB), which is trading at $595 with a 24-hour volume of $1.1 billion as of May 12, 2025, at 3:00 PM UTC. A sell-off in WBT might trigger risk aversion in similar assets, while a stable absorption of the new supply could boost confidence in exchange-related tokens. Cross-market analysis also reveals a potential spillover into stock markets, particularly crypto-related stocks like Coinbase (COIN), which saw a 1.5% increase to $215.30 on May 11, 2025, per NASDAQ data, reflecting growing institutional interest in crypto infrastructure.

Diving into technical indicators and on-chain metrics, WBT’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 48 on the daily chart as of May 12, 2025, at 4:00 PM UTC, suggesting neutral momentum but leaning toward oversold territory if selling pressure intensifies post-unlock. On-chain data from TokenUnlocks indicates that the current circulating supply of WBT is approximately 144 million tokens, meaning the unlock will increase supply by roughly 27%, a significant dilution. Trading volume for WBT/USDT on WhiteBIT spiked by 22% to $10.2 million in the 24 hours leading up to May 12, 2025, at 5:00 PM UTC, reflecting heightened trader interest. Market correlation analysis shows WBT maintaining a 0.75 correlation with BNB and a 0.62 correlation with BTC over the past 30 days, per CoinMarketCap data, suggesting that broader market trends could influence its price action post-unlock. In terms of institutional impact, the stock market’s recent bullishness, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.6% to 40,563 on May 11, 2025, as reported by Bloomberg, could drive risk-on sentiment, potentially cushioning WBT’s downside if institutional money flows back into crypto. However, a sudden shift in risk appetite could exacerbate selling pressure, especially if large holders offload their unlocked tokens.

Lastly, the interplay between stock and crypto markets remains crucial for traders positioning around the WBT unlock. With crypto-related ETFs like the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) seeing inflows of $63 million on May 11, 2025, according to Farside Investors data, there’s evidence of sustained institutional interest in digital assets. This could provide a buffer for altcoins like WBT if the unlock is absorbed without panic selling. Conversely, a sharp decline in tech-heavy indices like the NASDAQ, which closed at 18,352 with a 0.5% gain on May 11, 2025, per Reuters, could signal risk-off behavior, impacting both crypto and crypto-adjacent stocks. Traders should remain vigilant, using stop-loss orders below key support levels and monitoring volume changes in WBT trading pairs like WBT/ETH, which saw a 10% volume increase to $2.1 million on May 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM UTC. By aligning strategies with both crypto-specific events and broader market trends, investors can navigate the volatility surrounding this significant token unlock.

Cas Abbé

@cas_abbe

Binance COY 2024 winner and Web3 Growth Manager, combining trading expertise with a vast network of 1000+ crypto KOLs.