XRP Exchange Balances Fall 133M as Ripple Unlocks 1B
Tracked exchange wallets held 22.48 billion XRP on October 31, down 133 million tokens, or about 0.6%, over seven days. The decline came just before Ripple released 1 billion XRP from escrow on November 1, in two transactions of 500 million each. Ripple’s locked balance fell from about 31.4 billion to 30.4 billion XRP.
The movements do not confirm that XRP was sold or that the full escrow release entered the market. Exchange wallet data can be affected by internal transfers and address reclassification. Ripple has returned about 700 million XRP to escrow in each of the previous two monthly cycles, limiting the net increase in unlocked supply to roughly 300 million each time.
XRP traded near $1.25 after falling about 18% in October. The exchange balance decline may ease concerns about immediate selling pressure, but the escrow release and recent price weakness leave supply and demand in focus. Traders are likely to monitor subsequent transfers and market flows for clearer signals.
Neutral
The immediate market signal is mixed, so a neutral view is most appropriate. The 133 million XRP decline in tracked exchange balances could suggest less XRP is readily available for sale, which may reduce near-term selling pressure. However, wallet labels and internal exchange transfers can distort these figures, so the decline is not definitive evidence of investor withdrawals or accumulation.
Ripple’s 1 billion XRP escrow release adds a potential supply overhang, but an unlock does not mean all tokens are sold. In the previous two monthly cycles, Ripple reportedly returned about 700 million XRP to escrow each time. Similar unlocks have not necessarily triggered an immediate selloff, and the article says the latest release had not yet been re-escrowed at the time of reporting.
In the short term, traders may react to any transfers from Ripple-controlled wallets, exchange inflows, and XRP’s price action around the $1.25 level. A rise in exchange deposits or sustained selling could weigh on price; continued outflows and no signs of distribution could be supportive. Longer term, the impact depends more on actual net supply entering markets, demand, and broader market conditions than on the gross monthly unlock alone. The reported 18% October decline and ETF inflows alongside substantial unrealized losses underline the uncertainty in current market positioning.