Aptos unlocks $10.88 million worth of APT, but 69% of the supply is currently staked – which side will have the advantage?

After approving the proposal to set a maximum supply limit for Aptos (APT) five days ago, this altcoin is preparing for a new token unlock — a factor that could add volatility to the market.

Although APT has seen a slight increase of about 1% over the past 24 hours, the long-term outlook appears less positive as market capitalization over the past year shows a weakening trend. With tokens about to be released into the market, the question remains whether APT will continue to face downward pressure as profit-taking and selling waves increase.

Selling pressure from scheduled unlocks

According to data from Tokenomist, approximately 11.31 million APT, worth $10.88 million, will be unlocked on March 12. This amount represents 0.69% of the circulating supply and is part of a series of periodic unlocks that have occurred over the past three months.

Specifically, the distribution of tokens is as follows:

The size of this unlock is comparable to those in December 2025 and January–February 2026. However, the USD value has changed significantly due to the recent decline in APT’s price.

Source: Tokenomist In the cryptocurrency market, token unlock events often come with increased selling pressure, especially when new supply is not absorbed quickly by the market. If this scenario occurs, the market cap of the altcoin could continue to face downward pressure, despite some notable supporting factors.

First, Aptos’s maximum supply has been capped, with about 1 billion tokens still locked. This mechanism helps control circulating supply and, combined with staking, reduces immediate sell pressure.

Currently, about 69% of the circulating supply — equivalent to 832.8 million APT — is staked. This can help ease short-term selling pressure from the unlock, as staked tokens cannot be traded immediately.

Source: Aptos Explorer Additionally, the project team is expanding partnerships with Archax to tokenize over 100 investment funds, according to information posted on CoinMarketCap. Major asset management firms like BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, and Aberdeen are believed to play a role in absorbing the new supply, especially as many analysts consider APT to be undervalued relative to its potential.

Can APT recover its lost market cap?

Aptos’s total market capitalization has “vanished” by over $7 billion since reaching a peak of $8 billion in December 2024. Currently, the project’s market value has fallen to its lowest since launch, despite signs of easing selling pressure.

Source: TradingView From a technical perspective, the MACD indicator has shown a bullish crossover, with histogram bars beginning to turn green. This suggests buying momentum is gradually returning as many investors see the market as oversold. However, at the time of writing, bullish momentum remains modest.

Meanwhile, the Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) indicator is at -1.32 billion APT, indicating that the altcoin is still in a distribution phase. Therefore, the upcoming token unlock could continue to exert downward pressure, risking further declines in Aptos’s market cap.