U.S. PCE, employment report and major HYPE unlock in focus
※ All times are in GMT+0 (UTC)
Monday, September 28 — Korean blockchain events get underway in earnest
- Events linked to Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), including Ethereum Korea Week 2026, are scheduled to begin in Seoul. With global projects and institutional representatives gathering to discuss institutional investment, stablecoins, RWAs and the Ethereum ecosystem, attention will focus on the possibility of announcements from related projects.
Tuesday, September 29 — U.S. JOLTS and major HYPE unlock
- 14:00 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release its August JOLTS job openings data. It is a key indicator for assessing demand in the U.S. labor market ahead of the employment report. A stronger-than-expected reading could fuel expectations of additional tightening by the Federal Reserve and drive U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar higher.
- Approximately 14.2 million HYPE tokens from Hyperliquid are scheduled to be unlocked. At current prices, the amount is worth approximately $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, equivalent to about 1.4% of total supply and approximately 2.7% of market capitalization. The unlock allocation consists of approximately 46.6% for insiders, 46.3% for the community and 7.0% for the foundation. Actual market circulation may vary depending on whether recipients receive and sell the tokens, but this is one of the largest supply events among altcoins this week.
- Falcon Finance is also scheduled to unlock approximately 203.05 million FF tokens. At current prices, the amount is worth approximately $27 million and represents about 6.5% of the current circulating supply. As the allocation includes ecosystem, team, investor and foundation tokens, it could affect FF’s short-term volatility.
- Korea Blockchain Week 2026 will take place in Seoul from September 29 through October 1. The event will begin with the Upbit Institutional Summit on the 29th, followed by the main conference from September 30 to October 1. Key topics include digital assets, institutional finance, AI, and RWA and tokenization, with global crypto industry figures including Arthur Hayes also scheduled to attend.
Wednesday, September 30 — U.S. PCE, GDP and ADP employment
- 12:15 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release its September ADP private-sector employment data. Private-sector employment increased by only 38,000 in August, and this release may draw attention as a preliminary employment indicator ahead of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report due two days later.
- 12:30 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release its August personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index. This is an indicator the Federal Reserve considers important in assessing inflation, and July PCE prices were up 3.7% year over year. If inflation comes in higher than expected, expectations of additional rate hikes could strengthen, potentially leading to higher Treasury yields and the dollar and weakness in risk assets. Conversely, evidence of cooling inflation could be supportive for the crypto market.
- 12:30 GMT: The United States is also scheduled to release the final reading for second-quarter GDP and corporate profits. The release will coincide with the BEA’s annual update to the national accounts, so revisions to historical GDP and related economic indicators will also need to be monitored.
Thursday, October 1 — ISM manufacturing, jobless claims and Fed officials’ remarks
- 12:30 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release weekly initial jobless claims. Ahead of the nonfarm payrolls report the following day, the data may serve as an indicator of short-term developments in the U.S. labor market.
- 14:00 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release its September ISM manufacturing PMI. The index stood at 54.6 in August, maintaining the manufacturing sector’s expansion. If both economic activity and the price index come in strong, they could fuel inflation concerns and expectations of additional tightening.
- Remarks from Fed officials will also be closely watched that day. Fed Governor Christopher Waller is scheduled for 14:00 GMT, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson for 17:30 GMT, Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman for 19:00 GMT, and Fed Governor Lisa Cook for 19:30 GMT. In particular, Vice Chair Jefferson is scheduled to speak on “the U.S. economy and monetary policy,” so attention will focus on whether he comments on the future path of interest rates.
- A SUI token unlock is scheduled. Tokenomist lists October 1 as the next SUI unlock date, with community reserve tokens included in the allocation. Depending on the amount of new supply, it could affect SUI’s short-term price volatility.
Friday, October 2 — The week’s biggest macroeconomic event: U.S. employment report
- 12:30 GMT: The United States is scheduled to release September nonfarm payrolls, the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings. August nonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000, while the unemployment rate stood at 4.1%. This employment report will be a key indicator for assessing whether the labor market is slowing again after the strong employment result last month.
- If employment is stronger than expected and wage growth is also elevated, the possibility of additional rate hikes by the Federal Reserve could come into focus, potentially driving U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar higher and weighing on risk assets such as BTC. Conversely, evidence of a slowdown in employment could reduce expectations of additional tightening.
- From October 2 to 4, Watch Out Bitcoin 2026 will take place in Madrid, while the Altcoin Pro Summit and other events are scheduled in Miami. Although these are not confirmed events expected to move the entire market, attention will focus on whether announcements emerge from the Bitcoin and altcoin industries.
This week’s market summary
Unlike last week, this week is packed with key U.S. economic indicators. In particular, ① JOLTS on the 29th, ② the PCE price index on the 30th, ③ the ISM manufacturing PMI and a series of remarks from Fed officials on October 1, and ④ the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report on the 2nd will be released in succession. With the Federal Reserve having recently raised interest rates, stronger-than-expected inflation and employment data could quickly increase expectations of additional tightening, making movements in U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar important to watch.
Within the crypto market itself, the approximately 14.2 million HYPE unlock on the 29th, worth approximately $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion at current prices, is the largest individual event. An FF unlock is scheduled for the same day, while a SUI unlock is scheduled for October 1, so volatility could increase in some altcoins as a result of rising supply.
Korea Blockchain Week will also take place in Seoul from the 29th through October 1, so it will be necessary to watch for announcements involving new services, partnerships and institutional adoption from major projects.
Overall, the latter part of the week—from Wednesday’s PCE through Thursday’s ISM and Fed remarks to Friday’s employment report—could be the most important volatility period for the crypto market this week.
Column note: This article contains the author’s personal views and market analysis, which may differ from the official position of Coinmax News. The content is provided for informational purposes and is not intended as an investment solicitation or investment advice.