OpenSea is expected to launch its long-awaited SEA token in the first quarter of 2026, the company’s CEO Devin Finzer announced.
Half of the token’s total supply will go to the community, with a significant portion distributed during an initial claim. Users with historical activity on the platform and participants in rewards programs will receive separate consideration, Finzer wrote on social media.
The deployment comes as part of a shift in focus for OpenSea, which has long been known as the largest non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. The platform recorded over $2.6 billion in trading volume this month, with over 90% attributed to token trading.
SEA will be integrated into the core OpenSea experience, Finzer added. Users will be able to stake the token behind their favorite collections or projects, and at launch, 50% of the platform’s revenue will be used to purchase SEA.
The release of the token comes more than a year after its first announcement. Since then, speculation has grown around its structure and timing, including bets placed on prediction markets like Polymarket.
Finzer’s announcement reduced the perceived likelihood of the SEA token launching this year from nearly 40% to less than 1%.
In the meantime, OpenSea has rolled out new tools, including a mobile app and support for perpetual futures trading, Finzer added.
