Ripple Drops a $3.2B XRP Bomb: Unscheduled Unlock Sends Shockwaves Through Crypto

Ripple just pulled the trigger on a surprise $3.2 billion XRP unlock—no warning, no mercy. Market watchers are scrambling to decode the move.

What’s the play? A liquidity boost? A strategic dump? The usual 'for operational purposes' line isn’t cutting it this time.

XRP holders are left sweating as the token’s price wobbles under the weight of sudden supply inflation. Classic crypto: the 'decentralized' project with a centralised vault.

One thing’s clear: when Ripple sneezes, the whole market catches a cold. And this time, they brought the Kleenex—along with a flamethrower.

Ripple’s Unscheduled $3.28 Billion XRP Release Shocks Community

The news quickly spread when Xaif (@Xaif_Crypto on X), a well-known voice in the community, posted details of the transactions. His update highlighted how unusual it was for Ripple to unlock this much XRP just days after its normal monthly release date. Typically, the company unlocks 1 billion tokens at the start of each month in a predictable process. But this time, the release happened in a way that stirred uncertainty among investors.

The unexpected August unlock came only a week after Ripple locked 700 billion tokens on August 2 and made no further moves. This made the sudden August 9 activity even more surprising. The 1 billion XRP release matched Ripple’s usual monthly total, but its timing and the involvement of an unknown wallet set it apart from the company’s standard operations.

In May 2025, a similar disruption occurred when Ripple locked 700 million XRP while the monthly unlock had not yet happened. That event, much like the latest one, is fueling debates about the company’s transparency. Earlier in 2024, the company’s escrow system also experienced irregularities. In those cases, the monthly unlocks were smaller than expected, and Ripple later “made up” the missing tokens in the same month. However, the current anomaly doesn’t seem linked to a system error.

Ripple’s Escrow Move And Its Effect On The XRP Market

Ripple’s escrow system, introduced in 2017, was designed to manage market supply in a controlled manner and avoid market flooding. These releases are generally predictable, and the XRP community has grown accustomed to tracking them at the start of each month. The August unlock, however, broke the pattern.

Despite the sudden release, XRP’s price is up over 16% compared to last week, suggesting that market sentiment remains strong for now. However, large and unscheduled token movements can quickly shift market dynamics, especially when billions of dollars are involved. 

As of now, Ripple still holds around 35.6 billion XRP in escrow. These tokens remain subject to the same monthly release rules, but recent irregularities have shown that not all unlocks will follow the expected schedule. Whether the community remembers this event as a minor deviation or the start of a new pattern in Ripple’s escrow management will depend on what happens in the months ahead.