Ripple Labs is set to release 1 billion XRP from escrow on December 1, continuing its long-running scheduled monthly unlocks designed to manage liquidity and support ecosystem activity.
The upcoming release will follow the standard structure seen in previous months, with the tokens typically unlocked in three tranches spread across Ripple-controlled escrow accounts.
This system, introduced in 2017 when the company placed 55 billion XRP into escrow, was created to provide supply predictability and increase transparency around the token’s circulation.
Although the 1 billion XRP figure often captures market attention, past unlocks have shown that only a portion of these tokens ultimately reaches the circulating supply.
Ripple frequently returns a significant share to escrow after meeting operational needs, a pattern that has helped limit sustained sell-side pressure.
Impact on XRP price
At the same time, market participants will be watching on-chain activity once the December unlock begins. Key indicators include whether large amounts of XRP are transferred to exchanges or whether the majority is quickly relocked.
In many past instances, the net increase in circulating supply has been far smaller than the headline release amount.
While the scheduled unlock is routine, it arrives at a time when overall crypto sentiment remains sensitive to liquidity shifts. Indeed, the final unlock of 2025 comes at a period when XRP has struggled with volatility, with the asset recently plunging below the $2 zone in line with broader cryptocurrency market sentiment.
The asset has also failed to capitalize on Ripple-specific developments such as the launch of the first spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States. Although past unlocks have not triggered sharp movements, the XRP community will be hoping the next release maintains stability as the token clings to a fragile support zone at $2 amid long-term efforts to reclaim $2.5, with a record high above $3 still in sight.
XRP price analysis
By press time, XRP was trading at $2.11, having gained about 1.5% in the past 24 hours, while on the weekly timeline, the asset has plunged nearly 5%.
Overall, XRP’s current price sits below both its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) of $2.44 and its 200-day SMA of $2.65, signaling a short-term bearish trend as the asset trades well under these key levels, with the 50-day SMA itself dipping toward the longer-term average in a potential consolidation phase.
The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 39.08 remains neutral, neither oversold nor overbought, suggesting limited immediate momentum for a reversal but room for downside pressure if it drifts lower amid the prevailing SMA downtrend.
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