Ripple is preparing to carry out its fourth monthly escrow release of 1 billion XRP in 2026, with historical data showing that only a portion of the unlocked tokens typically enters circulation.
The April unlock follows Ripple’s long-standing escrow system, which automatically releases up to 1 billion XRP at the start of each month.
While the figure might be viewed as a large injection of supply, past trends indicate that the majority of these tokens are quickly returned to escrow.
Recent cycles in early 2026 highlight this pattern. In March, for instance, roughly 700 million XRP was re-locked into escrow shortly after being unlocked, leaving about 300 million XRP available for potential use. Similar behavior was observed in January and February.
Overall, Ripple has historically re-escrowed between 60% and 80% of the monthly unlocked XRP.
This means that, in practice, only around 200 million to 400 million XRP is retained each month for operational purposes. These uses typically include supporting liquidity for cross-border payments, funding partnerships, and expanding the broader XRP ecosystem.
The escrow program, introduced in 2017, was designed to bring predictability and transparency to the cryptocurrency’s supply. By locking billions of tokens into time-based contracts and re-locking unused amounts, Ripple has maintained a controlled and gradual release schedule rather than allowing large, sudden increases in circulating supply.
Importantly, not all XRP retained after the unlock is immediately sold on the open market. A significant portion is deployed strategically, meaning the actual sell pressure is often lower than the raw figures might imply.
XRP price analysis
Meanwhile, this unlock is likely to have less impact on XRP’s price. During past unlocks, there has been minimal to no effect, as investors have largely already priced it in.
At the time of reporting, the asset was valued at $1.45, up nearly 4%.
Following the move, XRP is now testing its 50-day simple moving average, signaling short-term equilibrium but a lack of clear momentum. However, it remains well below the 200-day average at $2.14, indicating the broader trend is still bearish.
The 14-day relative strength index stands at 50.69, reflecting neutral conditions with neither overbought nor oversold pressure.
Featured image via Shutterstock