Blockchain company Ripple is set to release 1 billion $XRP from its escrow contracts on April 1, 2026, continuing a predictable monthly schedule that has been in place since late 2017.
Notably, the company initially placed 55 billion $XRP into time-locked escrow contracts on the $XRP Ledger to ensure transparency and manage supply.
Each month, up to 1 billion tokens are released to address concerns about Ripple’s large holdings while supporting operations.
However, in practice, the full 1 billion $XRP rarely enters circulation as Ripple typically re-locks a significant portion, usually 60% to 80%, into new escrow contracts shortly after release.
In recent months, including March 2026, the company re-escrowed about 700 million $XRP, leaving roughly 300 million tokens available.
As a result, the effective monthly increase in circulating supply remains around 200 to 300 million $XRP, used for institutional sales, On-Demand Liquidity, ecosystem development, and other operational needs.
By press time, about 33.5 billion $XRP remains in escrow, with most scheduled for future release and only a negligible portion expired. Circulating supply stands at about 61 billion out of a maximum of 100 billion.
Impact on $XRP price
Meanwhile, with $XRP trading at $1.31, the upcoming gross unlock is valued at roughly $1.31 billion. However, its market impact is expected to be limited due to the routine re-locking process, which the crypto community largely views as a non-event.
Historically, these monthly releases have not caused significant selling pressure in recent cycles, as most unlocked $XRP does not immediately enter open-market trading.
Instead, the controlled net addition allows Ripple to support adoption without flooding the market.
In the meantime, $XRP continues to trade in tandem with the broader cryptocurrency market, which has been on a bearish run in recent sessions, led by Bitcoin (BTC).
As things stand, some market players suggest that if broader sentiment does not improve, $XRP risks falling below the $1 support zone.
