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.
