Ripple, developers of the XRP Ledger blockchain, and its executives have sold or distributed approximately 58.5 billion XRP tokens since the cryptocurrency’s launch in 2012. This figure was derived from an analysis comparing the original supply with current on-chain holdings.
🚨 INSIGHT: #Ripple and executives sold roughly 58.5 billion $XRP valued near 109 billion since 2012, according to a report.
— Coin Edition: Your Crypto News Edge ️ (@CoinEdition) January 26, 2026
Despite large distributions, #XRP price has risen more than 31,000 percent over the same period. pic.twitter.com/Op8QSNGN7a
XRP debuted with a fixed supply of 100 billion tokens, all created at once on the XRPL network. Of that total, 80 billion tokens were allocated to Ripple Labs and 20 billion to its founders and early partners. The core individuals involved with the project at the time were Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz.
Ripple and Execs Hold 41.48 Billion XRP, Despite Selling Over 58 Billion Tokens Since Market Debut
As of January 2026, the company and its executives hold roughly 41.48 billion XRP tokens, worth $78.78 billion at current prices. According to on-chain data, Ripple holds approximately 37.68 billion XRP, which is divided between 3.5 billion XRP in directly accessible wallets and 34.18 billion XRP locked in escrow.
Among the executives, Chris Larsen, Ripple’s chairman, currently holds about 2.5 billion XRP, worth $4.74 billion, across eight wallets. Arthur Britto, co-founder of Ripple Labs and one of the original engineers behind the XRP Ledger, controls roughly 1.3 billion XRP ($2.46 billion), distributed across seven wallets. Meanwhile, David Schwartz, co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO) of the company, holds a significantly smaller amount, with his historical holdings peaking at around 26 million XRP ($49.40 million).
When the original supply of 100 billion XRP is subtracted from the current on-chain holdings of 41.85 billion tokens, the result indicates that company executives have sold or distributed approximately 58.51 billion XRP, worth $111.16 billion, over the past 13 years.
These large-scale sales often raise concerns about long-term price pressure. However, during this period, XRP has surged by over 31,756% – from its earliest recorded market price of $0.00587 in August 2013 to $1.88 as of January 2026. These gains were made even as billions of tokens entered circulation gradually, rather than in sudden waves.
Ripple’s Escrow System Helps Sustain Prices and Limit Unexpected Supply Shocks; Company Releases 1 Billion XRP Every Month
In 2017, Ripple introduced an escrow system to lock up 55 billion tokens, subsequently allowing up to 1 billion XRP to be released each month. Any unused portions are returned to escrow, limiting unexpected supply shocks. According to disclosures from the company, as of 2025, 34.18 billion tokens remain locked in this system.
These distributions occurred alongside ecosystem-related development, legal challenges, and multiple bull and bear market cycles. Ripple settled a long-running litigation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding XRP’s regulatory status last year.
While executives sold a significant portion of their holdings, the company’s escrow-managed strategy coincided with sustained price appreciation for more than a decade. This suggests that strategic, phased selling of tokens has not undermined XRP’s long-term market growth.
The cryptocurrency operates without mining, staking, or inflationary mechanisms, distinguishing it from proof-of-work and proof-of-stake assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.91 – up 0.8% in 24 hours.
