Ripple Re-Locks 700 Million XRP in Escrow, Circulating Supply Climbs

Ripple Labs has returned 700 million XRP to escrow, relocking 70% of the 1 billion tokens it unlocked in April 2026. The blockchain payments firm sent the tokens back in two transactions—500 million and 200 million—on April 1, effectively making about $945 million worth of XRP temporarily unavailable. A social media post by MarketSleek highlighted the 500 million XRP tranche, estimating its value at $675,337,377. Even with the relock, Ripple still added 300 million XRP to the market, lifting circulating supply by tokens valued at roughly $384 million as of April 2. On-chain data from XRPSCAN shows escrow balances at about 33.344 billion XRP, with net circulating supply near 66.626 billion. The latest moves suggest Ripple may follow a similar pace to Q1 in the second quarter, after releasing 900 million XRP during the first three months of 2026. Market impact: XRP slid more than 4% over the past 24 hours, changing hands around $1.30 at the time of publication. Ripple has long argued that its monthly sales support company growth and broader adoption of the XRP Ledger, though recurring selloffs have often been cited as a drag on price. David Schwartz, a founding member of the XRP Ledger, defended the approach, saying Ripple's model relies heavily on monthly escrow sales to stay profitable. In a post dated April 2, 2026, Schwartz added that Ripple's close relationship with XRPL can be mutually beneficial, but may not necessarily translate into profits for other companies adopting Ripple's payment products.