International cross-border payments firm Ripple Labs, Inc., has released another one billion XRP coins from escrow.
International cross-border payments firm Ripple Labs, Inc., has released another one billion XRP coins from escrow. This marks a notable shift in how it handles its monthly token movements. Per the update, the recent release did not follow its usual timing and order, raising questions within the digital asset community about the new approach.
Ripple Adjusts Monthly Release Timing and Sequence
According to blockchain tracking service Whale Alert, three major XRP transactions amounting to one billion coins were spotted onchain. The transfers included 200 million, 300 million, and 500 million XRP, respectively.
According to the data, Ripple Labs initiated the largest transaction, the 500 million XRP movement. While not directly confirmed, XRPscan traced the other two to the same wallet.
🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 500,000,000 #XRP (1,101,317,806 USD) unlocked from escrow at #Ripplehttps://t.co/fw11OhKSmc
— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) May 2, 2025
Previously, Ripple consistently released one billion XRP from its escrow account on the first day of each month. However, the company has now changed that pattern. This month, the release took place on the third day.
It is worth noting that Ripple Labs has also altered the order in which it locks and unlocks tokens. In the past, Ripple would unlock the one billion XRP first, then re-lock 700 million. However, Coinspeaker noted earlier that Ripple locked the 700 million XRP, causing its price to react before releasing the new one billion.
It is important to state that this subtle but important change could mean a new internal policy or strategic adjustment. By locking a significant portion before releasing new coins, Ripple may signal a shift in how it manages the circulating supply and market liquidity.
The exact reason behind the move has not been officially disclosed, but it has sparked discussions among XRP holders and market watchers.
Ongoing Utility and Market Strategy Behind XRP Movements
The trend of these scheduled XRP unlocks has remained consistent over the years. Ripple uses some released tokens to support exchange liquidity and cover its operational expenses.
It is worth mentioning that a portion of the XRP is allocated to Ripple Payments, the company’s cross-border payments network. Through this process, the coins are also provided to institutional partners to support transactions and integrations.
Still, this month’s release is not tied to any new partnership announcements or utility rollouts. However, its timing and pattern have caught attention. As Ripple continues to grow its presence in the crypto and payment infrastructure space, these decisions will likely influence how investors perceive XRP’s long-term value.
In related news, there were reports that Ripple had raised its offer to acquire Circle, the company behind USDC. The new rumored bid is from $20 billion, up from the initial $5 billion. However, members of the XRP community have firmly denied the claim, calling it false and criticizing the media outlets that spread the rumor
Coinspeaker noted that while commenting on the rumor, pro-XRP lawyer John E. Deaton expressed his anticipation for Ripple acquiring Circle and becoming a bank should the deal go through.
Amid the escrow update, the market’s bearish shift is yet to clear. CoinMarketCap data shows that the fourth-largest cryptocurrency, XRP, is trading at $2.20, down by 0.31% in the past 24 hours.
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