Ripple Shakes Market: 1B XRP Unlocked in Strategic July Split – What’s Next?

Ripple just pulled a billion-dollar move—literally. The company’s July XRP unlock, split into two tranches, has traders buzzing and skeptics rolling their eyes. Here’s the breakdown.

The Split Play

Instead of dropping 1 billion XRP in one go, Ripple sliced the release like a hedge fund managing risk—or a chef dicing onions to avoid tears. Smart? Suspicious? Depends who you ask.

Market Jitters or Just Noise?

History says unlocks can trigger sell-offs, but Ripple’s staggered approach might cushion the blow. Or it’s a Band-Aid on a bullet wound—typical crypto 'risk management.'

The Bottom Line

Whether this is strategic genius or another 'trust the plan' moment, one thing’s clear: Ripple’s playing chess while everyone else checks their wallets. Again.

TLDR

• Ripple completed its July escrow unlock by releasing 1 billion XRP in two separate 500 million tranches.
• The first 500 million XRP was unlocked on July 1, followed by another 500 million XRP on July 4.
• This split unlock deviated from Ripple’s usual single-day, full-month release pattern.
• Ripple relocked a total of 700 million XRP in July, differing from the typical 800 million relock.
• The XRP token price declined by 2.78% in the last 24 hours despite a 6% monthly gain.

Ripple completed its July XRP escrow target after unlocking 1 billion tokens in two unexpected 500 million tranches. The first unlock occurred on July 1, while the second followed on July 4, catching analysts by surprise. This split approach signals a shift in the company’s monthly token release strategy.

The two transactions totaled $2.24 billion in value and reflect Ripple’s broader strategic shift in managing its XRP reserves. While the token saw a monthly gain of 6%, its price dropped by 2.78% in the last 24 hours. Trading volume also fell by 28%, settling at $3.12 billion amid the platform’s realignment efforts.

Despite the volatility, Ripple’s escrow behavior continues evolving, with July marking a significant deviation from its standard issuance and relock pattern. The new allocation model now reflects market responsiveness rather than calendar-based automation. This change may influence how stakeholders assess future token supply movements and liquidity trends.

XRP Escrow Split Unlock Strategy Raises Market Interest

Ripple unlocked 500 million XRP on July 1 and another 500 million on July 4, completing its standard 1 billion monthly target. The split release occurred outside of the expected single-day unlock method, leading to community speculation. Whale Alert confirmed the second transfer to an unknown wallet, valued at over $1.1 billion.

🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 500,000,000 #XRP (1,118,938,031 USD) unlocked from escrow at unknown wallethttps://t.co/5jBpd4IqV1

— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) July 4, 2025

Earlier in the month, Ripple also relocked 400 million XRP from the initial release, temporarily reducing the circulating supply. However, this figure later increased as the firm added another 300 million XRP to the escrow. The total relocked amount for July reached 700 million XRP, indicating a break from past trends.

Ripple typically unlocks 1 billion XRP each month and relocks 800 million, but July’s moves reflect changing internal priorities. Since March, Ripple has adjusted its release approach, using smart contracts more flexibly to meet operational needs. The new strategy could be shaping a more demand-driven XRP supply mechanism.

Strategic Shifts and External Rumors Surround Ripple’s XRP Allocation

Ripple currently holds 36.4 billion XRP in escrow, with around 5 billion XRP accessible in liquid reserves. The shift away from predictable relocks aligns with an agile supply management structure. Ripple now responds dynamically to market conditions, reducing the reliance on a fixed unlock model.

Amid these changes, external speculation has grown, particularly regarding potential government involvement in Ripple’s XRP holdings. A report from Coincentral referenced unconfirmed claims about a U.S. Treasury seizure of escrowed tokens. Although legal experts have denied these claims, online discussion continues around Ripple’s intentions.

Contributing to these rumors, Ripple recently pursued a U.S. national bank charter and applied for a Federal Reserve master account. This move supports its RLUSD stablecoin initiative and could allow direct reserve custody at the Fed.