In 2017, Ripple addressed growing concerns about potentially flooding the market with XRP by locking 55 billion of its 80 billion XRP tokens in an escrow account. This measure allowed Ripple to release a maximum of one billion tokens per month, creating more transparency and predictability in XRP sales.
At the time, Ripple classified tokens in escrow as “undistributed,” while the rest made up the circulating supply. Any tokens not sold in a given month returned to escrow for future distribution.
Garlinghouse Highlights the Importance of Escrow
Recently, XRP advocate Bill Morgan revisited a historic tweet from Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announcing the escrow arrangement. In that 2017 post, Garlinghouse emphasized that the decision was “good for supply predictability and trusted, healthy XRP markets.” His statement reinforced Ripple’s long-standing goal of maintaining investor confidence by controlling token distribution in a structured and transparent manner.
Today, data from XRP Ledger explorer XRPScan provides a clear picture of the token’s distribution. Out of XRP’s maximum supply of 100,000,000,000 tokens, the total available stands 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.
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These burns occur automatically through transaction fees on the XRP Ledger. Each transaction destroys a small amount of XRP, which helps prevent spam and improves network efficiency.
Significant XRP Still Locked in Escrow
Currently, 35,608,401,338 XRP tokens remain in escrow. Meanwhile, active XRP accounts are approaching seven million, now totaling 6,837,166. The XRP Ledger count has reached 98,108,655.
Related article: XRP Moves $55M Hours After Landmark SEC Settlement
At the time of writing, XRP trades at $3.11, following a recent surge to $3.66 on July 18. This steady performance underscores XRP’s active role in the market despite the controlled release of tokens from escrow. Ripple’s escrow strategy, first announced eight years ago, continues to shape XRP’s market behavior, ensuring a balance between availability and stability.
