Ripple Moves $2B in XRP as Whale Activity Sparks Market Jitters
Ripple moved over $2 billion in XRP amid a market downturn, raising concerns about sell-offs and whale-driven volatility.
Ripple, the blockchain firm behind the XRP token, moved over $2 billion in XRP on August 2 through a series of strategic escrow transactions, according to blockchain monitoring data. The transfers—700 million XRP across three tranches—come as part of Ripple’s scheduled monthly release of 1 billion XRP, a process designed to manage circulating supply.
The three transactions, valued at over $2 billion combined, were subsequently re-locked into escrow, consistent with Ripple’s long-standing supply management policy. However, 300 million XRP remains unlocked, suggesting possible near-term distribution or internal use.
Earlier in the day, two additional XRP transfers totaling 500 million tokens were recorded from unidentified wallets to Ripple’s address, indicating internal repositioning likely tied to this release cycle. While Ripple asserts that its supply strategy mitigates market shocks, the recurring release of large XRP volumes has drawn scrutiny, especially as market conditions worsen.
The timing couldn’t be more sensitive. XRP has shed over 7% in the last 24 hours and 13% over the past week, falling below the $3 support level. The price downturn mirrors broader crypto market weakness but is exacerbated by large-scale sell-offs.
Notably, blockchain analyst Ali Martinez flagged over 710 million XRP in whale offloads on the same day. Such movements often precede further downside and add to fears of increased volatility. Traders are watching closely to see whether Ripple’s retained XRP will hit the open market.
Further undermining sentiment, reports surfaced that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse sold $200 million in XRP over a 10-day period near the $3.84 peak—echoing his controversial $600 million sales during the SEC lawsuit between 2017 and 2020.
Adding to the uncertainty, the SEC has delayed decisions on XRP ETF applications from Grayscale and Bitwise until at least September 2025. With institutional pathways on pause, speculative activity is likely to dominate near-term price dynamics.
Although Ripple’s escrow mechanism is meant to provide predictability, the sheer volume of XRP movement—combined with top-executive sell-offs and regulatory gridlock—may heighten short-term market instability.
