Ripple is preparing to release 1 billion XRP from its escrow on January 1, 2026, in an event that is part of a scheduled and recurring schedule established since 2017. This mechanism includes the automatic release of 1 billion
Although the figure draws attention due to its size, historically these releases They have not implied that all the tokens reach the market. In practice, Ripple typically relocks between 60% and 80% of released XRP in new escrow contracts, thus limiting the direct impact on the circulating supply.
In recent months, this pattern has continued. During the December 2025 unlock, they released close to 1 billion XRP, but approximately 70% was locked again, while only a fraction was made available for possible operational or liquidity uses. This background reinforces the expectation that the January event will follow a similar dynamic.
At the time of writing, there are approximately 34,400,000 XRP locked in Ripple escrow, and about 65,500,000 tokens in circulation, according to data from XRP Scan.
The market monitors Ripple’s movements
Even so, the market remains attentive. At current prices, even a small portion of those 1 billion XRP represents significant valuewhich explains why operators and analysts closely follow chain activity in the days after unlocking.
In particular, large transfers that may suggest movements towards exchanges are monitored, since the market interest in these unlocks is linked to the fear that, if a significant part of the released XRP were sold, can exert downward pressure on the price.
This concern responds to the possibility that large volumes in the hands of a single actor affect retail holders, as reported by CriptoNoticias.
A sensitive and volatile context for XRP
The market context adds sensitivity to the event. XRP comes to this unlock with a tight technical structure. At the time of writing this article, the price of XRP is around USD 1.84 –1.85, compared to its last drop last week, where it reached USD 1.7.
The inability to break these resistances has increased caution among traders against any possible additional supply pressure, even when it is a known and repeated mechanism.
Looking ahead to 2026, previous experience suggests that XRP price action has tended to align more with overall market sentiment than with the monthly unlocks themselves. Therefore, market attention will focus on how much XRP actually ends up in circulation and in the macroeconomic and sector conditions that affect the beginning of the new year.