Tokens unlocked this week: 5 cryptocurrency releases worthy of attention from August 17 to 20

Major token unlocking this week: Major crypto projects will be released from August 17 to 20, 2026

There are also five noteworthy token unlocking events this week, ranging from Layer-2 tokens transformed from the NFT brand to LayerZero, the most widely used cross-chain messaging protocol in the crypto field.

In total, these projects will release more than US$37 million in new circulating tokens. Here are the details of the unlocking, recipients and possible impact on each token market.

Complete data sheet for this week's token unlocking

Date: August 17, 2026| Token: Pudgy Penguins (PENGU)| Number unlocked: 703.5 million| Percentage of maximum supply: 0.79%| Approximate US dollar value: US$4.19 million

Date: August 19, 2026| Token: ZKsync (ZK)| Unlocked: 173.41 million| Percentage of maximum supply: 0.83%| Approx. USD Value: USD 1.3 million

Date: August 20, 2026| Token: Kaito (KAITO)| Number unlocked: 32.6 million| Percentage of maximum supply: 3.26%| Approximate US dollar value: US$11.06 million

Date: August 20, 2026| Token: Lombard (BARD)| Number unlocked: 36.91 million| Percentage of maximum supply: -|Approximate US dollar value: US$36.91 million

Date: August 20, 2026| Token: LayerZero (ZRO)| Number unlocked: 25.71 million| Percentage of maximum supply: 2.57%| Approximate US dollar value: US$19.66 million

Allocation details: Who gets what

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU): Team and company release of NFT branded tokens

Pudgy Penguins started as an NFT series and later grew into a consumer brand that covers physical toys, licensing partnerships, and the Ethereum Layer-2 Network Abstract built by its parent company Igloo Inc. PENGU assumes social, practical and governance functions in this ecosystem.

On August 17, the network unlocked 703.5 million PENGUs, worth approximately US$4.19 million, distributed as follows: team (2.70%,+427.67 million) and company (2.70%,+275.83 million). Currently, 77.8% of the maximum supply has been unlocked, and PENGU is the token with the highest unlocked ratio this week, which means that most of its internal personnel allocation has been absorbed through the market.

ZKsync (ZK): Small-scale release for investors and teams

ZKsync is an Ethereum Layer-2 expanded network based on zero-knowledge convolution technology that allows transactions to be processed offline and then returned to Ethereum for secure settlement. ZK is used for governance and network incentives.

On August 19, ZKsync unlocked 173.41 million ZKs worth approximately US$1.3 million, distributed as follows: investors (2.50%,+103.87 million) and team (2.44%,+69.54 million). Only 32.7% of the total supply has been unlocked, and most of ZKsync's tokens are still locked, which means that future unlocks may have more relative impact than this week's release.

Kaito (KAITO): Creator-focused unlocking of AI research platforms

Kaito is an AI-driven information platform that indexes encrypted news, social media posts and research reports to present market intelligence, with the core of which is the so-called InfoFi (Information Finance) model. KAITO is used to govern, pledge and reward platform contributors.

On August 20, Kaito unlocked 32.6 million KAITOs worth approximately US$11.06 million, distributed among five distribution categories: Creator motivation (15 million, accounting for 20% of the allocation, used to reward content creators and contributors), core contributors (6.95 million, accounting for 2.78% of the allocation, unlocked by the founding team), ecosystem and network growth (7.15 million, accounting for 2.22% of the allocation, partners and ecosystem expansion), early supporters (2.31 million, accounting for 2.78% of the allocation, unlocked by early round investors), foundations (1.19 million, accounting for 1.19% of the allocation, network hosting). This is the highest unlock relative to market value this week except Lombard, accounting for 13.5% of KAITO's current market value. Among them, creator incentives alone account for nearly half of the releases, which is more community-oriented than other unlocks this week.

Lombard (BARD): Foundation and community push for Bitcoin liquidity pledged tokens

Lombard is a Bitcoin DeFi protocol designed to allow idle BTC to generate revenue, mainly through LBTC-a liquidity pledged token anchored 1:1 to Bitcoin through the Babylon protocol. BARD is Lombard's governance and utility token.

As of 05:30 on August 20 (UTC+5:30), Lombard's cumulative unlocked supply was 349.89 million BARDs (accounting for 34.99% of the circulating supply), and the unlocked market value was approximately US$36.91 million. The latest changes come from two categories: Mobile Bitcoin Foundations (+9.56 million BARDs) and Community and Ecology (+27.35 million BARDs), while early investors and core contributors have no new unlocks during this period. According to Lombard's own token economy announcement, the foundation allocates research, grants and development specifically for funding agreements, while the community and ecological categories are used to fund incentives and liquidity partnerships.

LayerZero (ZRO): Unlock with the highest market value this week

LayerZero is a cross-chain messaging protocol that allows smart contracts on different blockchains to communicate directly, supporting token bridges and full-chain applications on dozens of networks. ZRO is used for governance and network fee-related mechanisms.

On August 20, LayerZero unlocked 25.71 million ZROs worth approximately US$19.66 million, evenly distributed among three categories: Strategic partners (13.42 million, accounting for 4.17% of the allocation, partners and integrations unlocked), core contributors (10.63 million, accounting for 4.17% of the allocation, the founding team unlocked), repurchase tokens (1.67 million, accounting for 4.17% of the allocation, previously repurchased supply returned into circulation). This accounts for 7.28% of current market value and is the highest market value ratio unlocked this week, although LayerZero has 63.6% of its total supply unlocked.

What these token unlocking means for investors

This week's dollar value and market value percentage show a very different story. LayerZero's unlock is small in terms of the number of original tokens, but accounts for 7.28% of its market value, which is the highest proportion this week; Kaito's 13.5% is also no worse, which means that both have greater pressure on price than their apparent number of tokens suggests. Pudgy Penguins are at the other extreme, with 77.8% of supply unlocked. This week's release is only a regular continuation of a basically completed timetable, rather than a new supply shock. Lombard's unlocking is remarkable in structure rather than size, with changes in foundations and communities and ecological categories, while early investors and core contributors remain unchanged. This model typically brings less pressure to sell than team or investor-dominated releases because ecological funds are often deployed gradually over time rather than sold immediately. ZKsync's unlock is the smallest dollar value this week, but less than one-third of the overall supply unlock, and future releases may be more influential than this time.

Summary

This week's token unlocks cover a wide range, from Pudgy Penguins 'near-completion of the 77.8% unlock progress, to LayerZero's 7.28% market value impact. The value of the dollar itself does not reflect the true market impact; combining the unlocking scale with the market value, liquidity and circulation supply of each token provides a clearer judgment than simply looking at the number of tokens. Those holding these assets should focus directly on the official project channel for any schedule changes, as unlock dates and allocations may be adjusted due to governance decisions.

This article is for educational and informational reference only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Before making an investment decision, be sure to study it yourself.