Ripple kicked off 2026 with a scheduled monthly XRP release on Thursday, January 1.

As has usually been the practice, one billion XRP was freed from escrow, but the vast majority of it did not enter active circulation.

Specifically, the company has once again re-locked 70% of the release, or 700 million XRP, in long-term storage.

The remaining 300 million tokens are set to fuel liquidity and expand the ecosystem, with any unused portion likely to be returned to escrow to prevent market disruption.

With the new release, the token’s total circulating supply has reached 65.78 billion, while a total of 34.18 billion XRP has been escrowed, judging by XRPSCAN data available on Friday, January 2.

The first Ripple XRP escrow of 2026

Ripple’s first escrow of 2026 represents no change from the December 2025 unlock, when roughly 1 billion XRP was released, but 70% of it promptly re-locked in three installments.

While headline figures such as “1 billion” and “700 million” may at first appear startling, the result has historically been a muted price reaction.

The asset was trading near $1.84 on the day of release, extending a steady decline that had been going on since September 2025.

By press time, January 2, the price had somewhat improved, with XRP changing hands at $1.91 after a 2.74% daily uptick.

However, the somewhat improved conditions are hardly the result of yesterday’s escrow alone. For instance, Japan’s new 2026 tax reforms have reduced crypto taxes to 20% from 55% and approved the nation’s first XRP ETF, which opens the door for further retail and institutional investment.

At the same time, the cryptocurrency has reclaimed its 50% Fibonacci retracement level at $1.87 and registered a bullish MACD crossover, meaning its apparent strength is backed by solid technicals, too.

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