8 Years Later: How Ripple’s XRP Escrow Plan Still Dominates the Crypto Market

Ripple’s locked-up XRP strategy remains a market-defining force—love it or hate it.

The Escrow That Wouldn’t Quit

Eight years after Ripple’s CEO parked 55 billion XRP in escrow, the mechanism still dictates price swings and trader psychology. Critics call it centralized manipulation; fans argue it’s savvy supply control.

A Masterclass in Market Choreography

Monthly unlocks—1 billion XRP dribbled into circulation—keep volatility on a leash. Meanwhile, unsold coins get tossed back into escrow like stale bread at a hedge fund buffet.

The Cynic’s Take

Wall Street would’ve slapped this structure with a ‘creative accounting’ label years ago. But in crypto? It’s just another Tuesday.

TLDR

• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced the XRP escrow plan in 2017 to improve supply predictability and market trust.
• Ripple locked 55 billion XRP in escrow with a maximum monthly release limit of one billion tokens.
• XRP escrow holdings currently total 35,608,401,338 XRP according to XRPScan data.
• The circulating supply of XRP stands at 64,363,269,902 with over 14 million XRP burned through transaction fees.
• XRP Ledger active accounts have reached 6,837,166 with the ledger count now at 98,108,655.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s 2017 post on XRP escrow resurfaced, marking eight years since the decision to lock billions of tokens. As outlined in his original statement, the MOVE aimed to enhance supply predictability and maintain trust in XRP markets. The latest XRP Ledger data now offers a clear view of the cryptocurrency’s distribution and escrow holdings.

Ripple Locks 55 Billion XRP in Escrow

In 2017, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced transferring 55 billion XRP into an escrow account for controlled monthly release. The system allowed Ripple to release a maximum of one billion XRP each month, ensuring market transparency and predictability. Garlinghouse stated the plan was “good for supply predictability and trusted, healthy XRP markets.”

Ripple CEO emphasized that XRP tokens in escrow remained “undistributed,” while the remainder contributed to the circulating supply. The process also returned any unsold tokens to escrow for later redistribution. Consequently, this approach aimed to address concerns about Ripple potentially flooding the market with excess XRP.

Garlinghouse explained the benefits of the escrow 8 years ago:

* supply predictability;
* trusted XRP markets.

Even after eight years, if you do not agree with him, there are scores of compelling reasons why the release of XRP from escrow provides no helpful explanation of… https://t.co/i149bLmnNk pic.twitter.com/JJ990pJPi5

— bill morgan (@Belisarius2020) August 12, 2025

Ripple’s initiative attracted significant attention across the cryptocurrency industry at the time. It offered a structured release model rather than ad-hoc token sales. Moreover, it reinforced Ripple’s stated commitment to responsible asset management.

XRP Escrow and Current Distribution Data

According to XRPScan, XRP’s maximum supply stands at 100,000,000,000, with the total available now recorded at 99,985,835,620 XRP. The current circulating supply is 64,363,269,902 XRP, while 14,164,380 XRP have been permanently burned via transaction fees. These native burns help prevent spam and improve network efficiency.

XRP escrow now holds 35,608,401,338 XRP, underscoring Ripple CEO’s original escrow strategy’s long-term impact on token management. The number of active XRP Ledger accounts has reached 6,837,166, reflecting ongoing global usage. Furthermore, the XRP Ledger count currently stands at 98,108,655.

At press time, XRP traded at $3.11 after peaking at $3.66 on July 18. The recent price movement coincides with renewed interest in Ripple CEO’s historic XRP escrow decision. Consequently, the announcement remains a key reference point in XRP’s market history.