Ripple Returns 700M XRP to Escrow After January Unlock, Keeps 300M for Liquidity
Ripple released 1 billion XRP on January 1, 2026 under its pre-programmed escrow schedule and returned 700 million XRP to new escrow contracts while retaining 300 million XRP for liquidity and operations. After the transaction, 34.185 billion XRP remain in programmatic escrow and the circulating supply stands at approximately 65.78 billion XRP. Network fees have permanently burned about 14.2 million XRP. An unrelated misleading memo reading that Ripple ‘dumped $8bn on retail investors in 2025’ was embedded in an EscrowFinish transaction; crypto media labelled it a troll and not an official Ripple statement. Monthly escrow unlocks are routine and transparent by design; traders closely watch how much Ripple re-locks versus keeps liquid because those proportions influence short-term selling pressure. Primary keywords: XRP escrow, Ripple escrow release, XRP circulating supply. Secondary/semantic keywords included: monthly unlock, token burn, liquidity management, EscrowFinish memo.
Neutral
The report describes a routine, programmed escrow release and re-locking consistent with Ripple’s long-standing supply-management policy. Ripple released 1 billion XRP and re-locked 700 million, keeping only 300 million liquid — a pattern that reduces the risk of sudden large sell pressure because most tokens were re-escrowed. The circulating supply and burned tokens remained aligned with historical totals, and the memo claiming an $8bn dump was identified as a troll with no impact on on-chain balances. Historically, similar monthly unlocks that result in high re-lock percentages have produced little sustained negative impact on XRP price; market reaction tends to be muted unless Ripple significantly increases the portion it retains liquid or executes large on-chain transfers to exchanges. Short-term implications: possible mild volatility around the unlock window as traders digest the 300M retained liquidity, but limited downside pressure given the large re-lock. Long-term implications: continued predictability of monthly escrow mechanics supports market stability and reduces tail risk compared with ad hoc supply moves. Traders should monitor future cycles for any change in the re-lock vs. liquid split and on-chain flows to exchanges, as those would be the primary drivers of meaningful price moves.