• Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP in February, relocking 700 million and leaving a net 300 million added supply.
• XRP slid to October lows in late January amid broader crypto market weakness.
• Ripple CTO David Schwartz suggested current prices show few investors believe XRP will reach $100.

Ripple unlocked roughly 1 billion XRP (XRP) from escrow on February 1, continuing its long-standing monthly release schedule.

The scheduled unlock followed a weak close for XRP in January, when the token declined by more than 10%. Selling pressure extended into the new month, with prices slipping further in line with the broader market drawdown.

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Ripple Unlocks 1 Billion XRP as Part of Scheduled Escrow Program

According to on-chain data, the unlocks were split across four transfers of 100 million, 400 million, 100 million, and 400 million XRP, with a combined value of approximately $1.6 billion at the time of execution.

Ripple’s monthly unlocks are part of a structured supply management mechanism rather than an unexpected market event. Introduced in 2017, the system placed 55 billion XRP into escrow, allowing up to 1 billion XRP to be released each month in a transparent and predictable manner.

Under this framework, Ripple typically relocks between 60% and 80% of the unlocked tokens, retaining only a portion for operational expenses or liquidity demands. That pattern repeated this month.

Whale Alert reported that Ripple relocked 700 million XRP to escrow in two separate transactions totaling 400 million and 300 million XRP, worth roughly $1.09 billion combined. As a result, a net 300 million XRP remains unlocked following the sequence.

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XRP Slides to October Lows Amid Broad Crypto Market Sell-Off

Historically, these monthly escrow movements have had a limited immediate impact on the market. Nonetheless, XRP has been under pressure as overall risk appetite weakened across the market.

BeInCrypto Markets data showed that XRP’s value declined by 10.6% in January, with the price falling to a low of $1.50 on the final trading day of the month, marking its lowest level since the October market crash.

Just two days into February, XRP has already dropped by more than 6%, tracking the broader market downturn that has pushed Bitcoin and Ethereum to multi-month lows. At press time, XRP was trading at $1.57, down nearly 5% over the past 24 hours.

Amid the ongoing drawdown, analysts remain split on whether a recovery or further declines are more likely. One analyst noted that XRP may be repeating a familiar long-term cycle. This suggests its next major rally may still be several years away.

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According to the analysis, XRP has historically moved through extended consolidation phases before breaking out sharply later in the cycle.

“It is following the same patterns in every other cycle. The next pump won’t be until Q4 2028. $8–10+,” the analyst wrote.

Another analyst stated that XRP’s price is currently consolidating within a “re-accumulation phase,” potentially setting the stage for a higher-timeframe continuation.

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Meanwhile, comments from David Schwartz, one of the chief architects of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), have challenged the more optimistic price targets often circulating within XRP communities.

“While I don’t think it’s likely, I didn’t think it was likely that XRP would ever hit $0.25. I started selling XRP at $0.10 because it seemed insane. I remember when bitcoin hitting $100 seemed like an impossible dream,” he wrote.

Schwartz argued that if rational investors believed XRP had a 10% chance of reaching $100 within a few years, the token would not linger at current levels. In his view, these investors would avoid selling below $10 and would rather accumulate, quickly consuming available supply.

“That the current trading price is well below $10 shows that there aren’t very many people who really think it has a 10% chance of hitting $100 within a few years with enough confidence to put their money where their mouth is. So anyone who says otherwise is not telling the truth,” he stated.

This perspective sharply contrasts with narratives common in crypto circles, where bullish projections often spread. The argument indicates that market pricing may better represent consensus views than the more optimistic social media projections.

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