Ripple is set to unlock 1 billion XRP from its escrow contracts on May 1, continuing a monthly release program established in 2017.
At the time, the company placed 55 billion XRP into cryptographically secured escrow on the XRP Ledger to improve transparency and predictability around supply.
Under this mechanism, 1 billion XRP becomes available at the start of each month. The structured approach was designed to address concerns about Ripple’s large holdings and to avoid sudden market shocks.
Now, the May release is another routine step in a schedule expected to run through at least 2027, as the escrowed balance gradually declines.
With XRP currently trading at $1.47, the upcoming unlock carries a notional value of about $1.47 billion, though the actual figure will vary with price movements.
While closely watched for potential supply impact, historical patterns show that most of the unlocked XRP does not enter circulation immediately.
In this line, Ripple typically re-locks 60% to 80% of the tokens into new escrow contracts. In recent months, including March and April 2026, about 700 million XRP were re-escrowed, leaving roughly 200 to 300 million XRP for operational use such as partnerships, liquidity provision, and ecosystem development.
This re-locking trend has helped limit net additions to circulating supply, meaning monthly unlocks have generally had minimal immediate market impact.
XRP price analysis
At press time, XRP was trading at $1.47, up about 2.5% in the past 24 hours and nearly 10% on the week.
From a technical perspective, the cryptocurrency is in a short-term recovery phase but still faces broader downside pressure.
The price sits above the 50-day SMA at $1.38, indicating improving near-term momentum and a potential base forming after recent weakness.
However, it remains well below the 200-day SMA at $1.91, indicating that the longer-term trend remains bearish and that the asset has not yet regained macro strength.
The RSI at 62.36 reinforces this view, sitting in neutral territory but leaning toward the upper range, suggesting growing buying interest without being overbought.
