Is Ripple preparing for something bigger after locking 700M XRP in escrow?

Ripple initiated its monthly rebalancing on May 1, transferring 1 billion XRP across several internal addresses. Two main wallets, labeled Ripple (26) and Ripple (27), moved in coordination in two transactions to four receiving addresses, with Ripple later locking 700M XRP in escrow.

While this is a part of Ripple’s established monthly protocol, no escrow release has been recorded for May 2025.

It started with Ripple (26) sending 500 million XRP in two transactions; firstly, 300 million XRP to Ripple (1) and 200 million XRP to Ripple (14). Ripple (51), for instance, later changed another 500 million XRP to Ripple (27), 300 million to Ripple (14), 30 million to Ripple (15) and 170 million to Ripple (51).

The receiving wallets acted fast. By 23:01, Ripple (14) escrowed its full 500 million XRP. The next was Ripple (15), who locked 30 million XRP, and Ripple (51), which moved 170 million XRP to escrow at 23:04. Ripple re-secured an additional 700 million XRP, $1.547 billion at the time, with Ripple (1) keeping the other 300 million XRP.

Ripple’s re-lock of the majority of XRP comes at a time when the May 2025 lock of the escrow is unusually late. Normally, 1 billion XRP becomes unlocked every month. In April, the company followed a similar flow, shuffling 1 billion XRP on the first day, returning 700 million to escrow, and confirming the 1 billion unlock only two days later.

No confirmation of a released token has been made so far in May.

Ripple has taken this strategy further to control XRP circulation and tackle inflationary concerns, which it is constantly working on. Monthly unlocks of a large portion reduce Ripple’s market impact in the short term, potentially supporting the market.

Ripple prioritizes acquisitions over IPO plans

Meanwhile, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse clarified in a recent Bloomberg interview that the company was not preparing for a public listing. Rather, Ripple seeks to acquire blockchain infrastructure companies that fit into its business model.

Ripple wanted to expand the scope of its services by making strategic acquisitions rather than going to the capital markets to raise money, Garlinghouse confirmed. He noted that Ripple has grown organically, scaling its customer base and revenues without external funding. 

The company’s balance sheet offers the company the ability to acquire firms that provide foundational infrastructure for blockchain applications. Though Ripple declined to mention any particular acquisition target, the pivot suggests the company wants to expand its technology stack.

XRP price outlook

XRP is trading at $2.22 as of Friday and is showing marginal movement amid a general crypto bull run. In the last 7 days, XRP has been up 2%, and it has declined 2% in the last 24 hours. BTC’s climb past $97,000 hasn’t triggered a meaningful XRP rally from Ripple’s token.

CasiTrades, a crypto analyst, described XRP’s next price move as bullish. In her analysis, she says XRP is retesting key levels around $2.25, which could be a pivot point. The asset could briefly dip to $1.90 as it completes a corrective wave pattern, but quickly kicks off a breakout.

On lower timeframes, she identified RSI fatigue, suggesting that the downward pressure may soon ease. If XRP is able to flip $2.25 to the buy side again, she sees an upward target to $2.68, potentially reaching $3 if buying pressure holds. CasiTrades called the current pullback a “final flush” before a possible major move upward.

Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now