Ripple CTO Shuts Down Speculation: XRP Escrow Release Timeline Clarified

Ripple's Chief Technology Officer just dropped the hammer on swirling rumors—no ambiguous corporate speak, just a straight shot of clarity on XRP's escrow release schedule.

Why the market cares: Billions in escrow mean billions in potential volatility. When the CTO speaks, traders listen—or at least pretend to while refreshing their trading apps.

The punchline? Timing matters more in crypto than a Wall Street analyst's morning coffee. And for once, we got answers instead of hype.

Ripple CTO Responds to Speculation

In response to these concerns, Schwartz took to social media to clarify how XRP escrow releases work. He explained that XRP’s escrow releases are always scheduled for the first day of each month, contrary to the apparent irregularity that some observers had noted.

Schwartz emphasized that while the escrow itself is released on the first day, the XRP Ledger does not automatically reflect this until a transaction is submitted to trigger it.

They always release on the first day of the month. You may not necessarily see any on ledger activity just because the escrow has released though. The ledger doesn't do anything by itself, it always waits for someone to submit a transaction to trigger it.

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) August 9, 2025

Schwartz also addressed the theory that Ripple could potentially manipulate the release of all 36 billion XRP in escrow at once. He reassured the public that this is not the case. “They always release on the first day of the month,” Schwartz clarified.

“You may not necessarily see any on-ledger activity just because the escrow has released.”

Understanding the Escrow Mechanism

Ripple’s escrow system has been a subject of ongoing interest within the cryptocurrency community, especially given the company’s significant holding of XRP in escrow. According to the latest data from XRPscan, approximately 35.6 billion XRP remains in escrow, following the most recent release.

This figure reflects the amount that Ripple has locked in escrow since the network’s inception to ensure the controlled release of XRP into circulation.

The escrow contract was designed to release up to 1 billion XRP each month. This is done to avoid flooding the market with too many tokens at once, which could destabilize XRP’s price. Although the release process is structured and predictable, it still depends on individual transactions to trigger visibility on the XRP Ledger.

Role of XRP in the Market

Despite the regular monthly releases, XRP’s price and market activity can fluctuate depending on other factors. XRP’s price saw a surge recently, partly due to speculation around the escrow and potential releases. However, XRP remains a key player in Ripple’s business model, used primarily for cross-border payments and liquidity services.

As Ripple continues to evolve, the way it manages its escrow system and releases will continue to be a point of focus for both the cryptocurrency community and institutional investors. XRP’s role in the market remains central to Ripple’s operations, and the controlled release of XRP helps maintain stability within its ecosystem.