Ripple to Unlock 1 Billion XRP as Price Struggles to Keep Momentum

Ripple Labs is preparing for another large-scale XRP release, set to occur on May 1, when 1 billion tokens—currently valued at around $2.1 billion—will be unlocked from escrow.

While the sheer volume may raise eyebrows and spark fears of price drops, past events suggest there’s little reason to panic.

These unlocks are not new. Ripple has operated under a predictable monthly schedule for years, gradually releasing XRP from escrow accounts. Typically, only a portion of the released tokens are used for operational expenses or strategic purposes. The majority is often returned to escrow, limiting actual market impact.

According to data from XRPScan, two Ripple-managed wallets will handle this upcoming release. Wallet (26) will distribute 200 million and 300 million XRP across two escrows, while wallet (27) is expected to unlock a 500 million XRP batch. All of this aligns with Ripple’s longstanding policy of scheduled unlocks rather than unexpected sell-offs.

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Though short-term price movement is unlikely to be affected by the unlock itself, some observers argue that cumulative releases over time could subtly alter the token’s supply-and-demand balance. The real influence would depend more on Ripple’s selling behavior than the unlocks alone.

XRP’s market performance offers a mixed picture. It has outperformed several major cryptocurrencies this year, rising 1.17% year-to-date with a current price around $2.10. Still, the last month hasn’t been kind—XRP has dropped nearly 12% over the past 30 days and is slightly down over the last 24 hours. Unlike some digital assets that have recently rebounded, XRP hasn’t fully participated in the market’s latest upswing.