BARD (Lombard) plunges 41.34% in 24 hours with a 118.5% amplitude: 30 million token unlock triggers sell-off

Volatility Overview

In the past 24 hours, BARD’s price surged from a high of $1.19989 before plunging sharply, hitting a low of $0.5491, and is currently trading at $0.64179, representing a drop of over 41% and an intraday amplitude as high as 118.5%. The 24-hour trading volume soared to $283 million, marking a 1427% spike compared to the previous day, reflecting intense capital movement driven by the token unlock event.

Brief Analysis of the Price Movement Causes

- Direct selling after token unlock: On March 18, 2026, the unlock of 30 million BARD tokens (about 11% of the circulating supply, worth over $32 million) was completed, including the remaining 50% from Lombard Protocol Season 1, Referral rewards, and the final Kaito Yappers airdrop. Immediate cashing out by recipients triggered selling pressure, causing prices to collapse from the peak.

- Insufficient liquidity amplifying volatility: Despite a 24-hour trading volume of $283 million, the unlock amount corresponds to 2.6 times the average daily liquidity, making it hard to fully absorb the sell-off in the short term.

Market Perspectives and Outlook

The dominant community sentiment is cautious. X platform discussions center on the selling pressure from unlocks (e.g., “the post-unlock temptation is too strong, immediate dump”), with some users already claiming and selling their tokens (such as cashing out at the $0.64 mark). Short-term risks include further liquidity tightening and a potential continued drop toward the $0.94 support area. Mainstream analysts remain optimistic about the long-term BTC DeFi narrative (TVL over $1 billion, protocol buyback mechanism) and recommend monitoring in the next 48-72 hours to see if the new supply becomes floating rather than ongoing selling pressure.