Ripple Transfers 1B XRP and Locks 700M in Escrow as May 2025 Release Remains Pending

Ripple kicked off May 2025 with its routine monthly XRP rebalancing, moving 1 billion XRP tokens across multiple internal wallets. As part of this strategic reshuffling, the company secured 700 million XRP in escrow, while the remaining tokens were retained in one key wallet. Notably, Ripple has not yet initiated a fresh May escrow release, a move that typically accompanies such monthly activity.

This pattern reflects a trend Ripple has maintained in recent months—relocking XRP ahead of any official release, possibly to moderate market reactions or exercise more flexible control over token circulation.

Ripple Moves 1 Billion XRP Across Six Wallets

Ripple executed the 1 billion XRP transfer using two internal wallet addresses: Ripple (26) and Ripple (27). These addresses distributed the total amount across four different recipient wallets, in a sequence of timed transfers between 22:54 and 22:57 UTC on May 1.

Ripple (26) initiated the first wave by sending 300 million XRP to Ripple (1) and 200 million XRP to Ripple (14) within one minute of each other. Ripple (27) followed up immediately, sending 300 million XRP to Ripple (14), 30 million XRP to Ripple (15), and 170 million XRP to Ripple (51), also within a short timeframe.

This process brought the total to 300 million XRP with Ripple (1), 500 million XRP with Ripple (14), 30 million XRP with Ripple (15), and 170 million XRP with Ripple (51), completing the full 1 billion XRP transfer.

Ripple Escrows 700 Million XRP in Three Transactions

Shortly after these movements, Ripple locked a significant portion of the tokens into escrow.

Ripple (14), which received 500 million XRP, sent all of it to escrow at 23:01. One minute later, Ripple (15) escrowed its full 30 million XRP balance. Then, at 23:04, Ripple (51) locked its entire 170 million XRP stash into escrow as well.

Together, these three transactions totaled 700 million XRP locked up, 70% of the overall tokens moved. Ripple (1), which still holds 300 million XRP, has not yet moved its funds at the time of reporting.

No May Escrow Release Yet as XRP Battles $2.20

Despite the extensive activity, Ripple has not initiated its expected May 2025 escrow release. This mirrors the firm’s approach in April, when the release occurred two days after the month’s rebalancing.

The delay in release could reflect Ripple’s ongoing strategy to smooth out supply inflows and reduce sudden market impacts. This is particularly relevant now, as XRP is trading at $2.21, marking a modest 0.08% decline in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has surged back above $97,000, highlighting the divergence between broader market sentiment and XRP’s price.

At current valuations, the 1 billion XRP moved is worth $2.21 billion, while the 700 million XRP now locked in escrow represents approximately $1.547 billion.

Strategic Implications and Market Outlook

Ripple’s decision to delay the escrow release and lock 70% of the transferred tokens suggests a cautious, calculated approach to market supply. This method may be designed to maintain price stability amid broader crypto volatility.

Investors will now be watching closely for the expected 1 billion XRP escrow release later this week, particularly if Ripple follows its recent monthly pattern.

Until then, the latest actions from Ripple reinforce the company’s control over token dynamics and its continued efforts to navigate market uncertainty with precision.

Olasunkanmi Abudu

Olasunkanmi Abudu is a Web3 content writer with over five years of experience covering blockchain, decentralized finance, and digital assets. He specializes in producing well-researched and accessible content that explains complex technologies and market trends to both general readers and industry professionals.

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