RootData: Large token unlocks are usually accompanied by positive news that drives up prices, with infrastructure, Layer 1/2, and DeFi remaining the hottest sectors

ChainCatcher news, RootData released the "2024 Web3 Industry Investment Research Report." The report shows that in 2024, VC coins have become a daunting term, with the crypto market bearing its exit liquidity. Projects such as Optimism, Sui, Aptos, Ethena, dydx, and Cardano unlock over 30 million tokens each month. Among these, there have been 9 major unlocking events (single transactions exceeding 100 million USD), namely INJ, MEME, PYTH, AVAX, SUI, W, JTO, APT, TIA.

Comparing the prices before and after token unlocks, it is found that project parties can significantly raise token prices before large unlocks through early announcements of positive information, marketing, and other means. Over-the-counter (OTC) trading is the method with the least impact on token prices for exiting, which can eliminate the risk of significant token price drops.

In addition, based on the popular tags from RootData over the past year (with over 5000 clicks), infrastructure, Layer 1/2, and DeFi remain the hottest tracks in blockchain. Tags such as artificial intelligence and DeSci have seen a rapid increase in clicks, with representative projects like Virtuals Protocol and Bio Protocol consistently ranking high on the RootData popularity list.

The popularity of some high-click tags usually lasts only 1-3 months, such as DePIN, Tap to Earn, and the Bitcoin ecosystem.