Whale rushes to ONDO: 14.86 million tokens transferred out, 1.94 billion tokens unlocking countdown 24 hours

According to the latest news, on January 17, 2026, at 01:39, 14,886,860 ONDO tokens were transferred from an anonymous address to a contract address, valued at approximately $5.5757 million. This large transfer occurred at a highly sensitive time point: less than 24 hours before the ONDO token unlock on January 18. This transfer may reflect market participants’ preemptive positioning on the eve of the unlock.

Unlock Risks Surface

Tomorrow’s “Massive” Unlock

According to relevant information, ONDO will experience a large-scale token unlock on January 18, with about 1.94 billion tokens entering circulation, accounting for 57-60% of the current circulating supply. This scale is equivalent to a “supply doubling” shock and is a key milestone in this year’s RWA track unlock plan.

To better understand the impact of this unlock:

Signal of Whales Acting in Advance

According to disclosures, even before the unlock, whales had distributed 25 million ONDO from multi-signature wallets to five major exchanges. Today’s transfer of 14.86 million tokens further confirms that large market players are “front-running” the unlock.

This phenomenon usually indicates two possibilities: first, some early supporters are taking advantage of the situation to sell; second, exchanges are preparing for increased liquidity post-unlock.

Fundamentals Still Heating Up

TVL Breaks $2 Billion Milestone

Despite the pressure from the unlock, ONDO’s fundamentals have not weakened. According to the latest information, Ondo Finance’s total value locked (TVL) has surpassed $2 billion, marking an important milestone in the RWA sector. This growth mainly comes from:

• Continued increase in tokenized US Treasuries
• Accelerated institutional adoption of on-chain stocks and ETF products
• Growing global demand for traditional assets on the blockchain

Increased Institutional Recognition

ONDO has completed SEC investigations, establishing itself as a compliant leader in RWA. This means it is no longer just a speculative asset but is gradually gaining recognition from institutional capital. From this perspective, the short-term pressure from the unlock may be just a fluctuation within a long-term upward trend.

Micro Observation of Market Divergence

Bearish Technical Signals vs. Strong Fundamentals

According to relevant analysis, ONDO currently shows a bearish crossover in technical indicators—seven-period EMA crossing below the long-term EMA, accompanied by negative MACD and RSI oversold. However, this precisely reflects market pessimism driven by the unlock expectations.

Short-term Volatility Is Expected

Relevant information suggests that the market generally anticipates a “sell-off exhaustion” reversal signal around the unlock. If the price can withstand selling pressure before and after the unlock, it may instead present a good opportunity for institutional positioning.

Key Time Nodes

In addition to ONDO’s unlock, other important events in the RWA sector are approaching:

• January 18: ONDO 1.94 billion tokens unlock (tomorrow)
• January 21: PLUME 137 million tokens unlock (in 3 days)

This “supply week” of dense unlocks is becoming a focal point for the entire RWA market.

Summary

This large transfer of ONDO not only reflects the market’s anticipatory response to the unlock but also confirms the market’s expectation of “whale front-running.” In the short term, the 1.94 billion token unlock indeed poses pressure, but from a fundamental perspective, factors such as TVL surpassing $2 billion, accelerated institutional adoption, and explosive growth in the RWA sector continue to support the project’s long-term value.

The key point to watch is whether the unlock can become a turning point where “bad news is fully priced in.” If the price can stabilize amid the unlock shock, the space for institutional deployment may open up further. For investors interested in the RWA sector, the market performance in the next 24-48 hours will directly influence subsequent operational decisions.