Back in 2017, Ripple made a bold move to address growing concerns over its control of XRP supply. The company locked up a massive 55 billion #XRP —out of its total 80 billion holdings—inside dozens of time-based escrow contracts. The plan was simple: release a maximum of one billion XRP per month, ensuring a predictable and transparent flow of tokens into the market.
Ripple’s goal was to eliminate fears of sudden market flooding, improve trust, and give traders and institutions confidence in #XRP ’s long-term stability. Any unused monthly allotments would roll back into escrow for later release. This transparency initiative quickly became one of the most defining moments in XRP’s history.
The Escrow Debate Lives On
Fast forward to 2025, and the escrow topic still stirs conversations. In a recent post, prominent XRP advocate Bill Morgan resurfaced Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s 2017 announcement. At the time, Garlinghouse emphasized that escrow was “good for supply predictability and building trusted, healthy XRP markets.”
Morgan noted that even after eight years, some critics remain unconvinced. However, he pointed out that there are “scores of compelling reasons” why the scheduled release of XRP from escrow remains a smart move, despite market skepticism.
The Numbers in 2025: XRP Supply, Burns, and Activity
According to the latest data from XRPScan:
Max Supply: 100,000,000,000 XRP
Total Issued: 99,985,835,620 XRP
Circulating Supply: 64,363,269,902 XRP
Burned: 14,164,380 XRP (permanently destroyed via transaction fees)
Escrowed: 35,608,401,338 XRP
Active Accounts: 6,837,166
Ledger Count: 98,108,655
On the XRP Ledger, every transaction requires a small XRP fee that is permanently burned, preventing network spam and improving efficiency. Over time, this burn mechanism slightly reduces the total supply—something that could be more significant as XRP adoption grows.
Price Action & Market Sentiment
At the time of writing, #XRP trades at $3.11, recovering from a July 18 peak of $3.66. Market watchers remain divided: some see escrow releases as predictable supply that’s already priced in, while others fear it could weigh on price momentum if demand slows.
Conclusion
Ripple’s escrow program was born out of a need for trust and market stability, and eight years later, it remains a cornerstone of #XRP’s tokenomics. Whether you view it as a brilliant transparency move or a neutral factor in price performance, one thing is certain—escrow is part of XRP’s DNA, and it’s not going away anytime soon.