Onchain data indicates that large holders of 1inch distributed tens of millions of tokens during a sharp intraday sell-off on Tuesday, 27 January. The activity is closely aligned with a double-digit price decline.
According to blockchain data tracked by Arkham, multiple wallets routed sizeable 1INCH → USDC swaps through CoW Protocol over a short time window.
The transactions were executed in several tranches rather than a single block, suggesting an effort to manage slippage during distribution.
Wallet history points to vested token holders
The largest visible leg involved roughly 14 million 1INCH, with additional tranches bringing the total sold to about 36.36 million tokens, worth approximately $5 million at prevailing prices.
Historical inflows to the wallets show tokens received via 1inch vesting contracts one to two years ago. This indicates that the sellers were likely early investors or contributors rather than spot-market buyers.
1 Inch price action aligns closely with onchain activity
Price data shows a tight temporal alignment between the sales and the market reaction. 1INCH traded in a narrow range near $0.14 before breaking down sharply, falling to around $0.115–$0.118 within hours — a move of roughly 15–17% on the day.
Intraday charts show the steepest leg of the decline unfolding during the same period that the largest swaps settled onchain.
1 inch volume surge signals liquidity stress
Market data from CoinMarketCap adds further context. 24-hour trading volume rose to approximately $62.2 million, up more than 370% day-on-day.
This pushed the volume-to-market-cap ratio above 36% — a level typically associated with forced repricing or distribution events.
Relative to supply, the reported sales represent about 2.6% of the circulating 1.41 billion 1INCH tokens and roughly 8% of daily trading volume.
Selling occurred without a new token unlock
Notably, the activity did not coincide with a new token unlock. CoinMarketCap data shows most of 1INCH’s supply is already unlocked, implying the selling drew from previously vested holdings rather than fresh emissions.
Execution via CoW Protocol, which aggregates liquidity and seeks price-efficient settlement, also suggests an attempt to mitigate market impact rather than a single-venue dump.
Distribution adds pressure in a fragile market structure
While the timing supports a close association between the sales and the price move, onchain data alone cannot establish direct causality.
The decline occurred against a broader backdrop of a fragile market structure for 1INCH. The token has trended lower since November, leaving liquidity thinner and more sensitive to concentrated selling.
Taken together, the data points to a bout of distribution by vested holders during a vulnerable market phase. This contributed to liquidity stress and an abrupt repricing rather than a slow, sentiment-driven decline.
Final Thoughts
- Large, vested 1INCH holders accounted for roughly 2.6% of the circulating supply, while sales accounted for about 8% of daily volume during the sell-off.
- The transactions coincided with a ~15–17% intraday drop, highlighting how concentrated selling can amplify moves in thin liquidity without proving sole causation.
