Ripple is set to unlock another 1 billion XRP from escrow on February 1, marking the company’s second scheduled release of 2026 under its long-standing monthly supply program.
The unlock follows the framework introduced in 2017, which releases XRP on a fixed timetable to provide transparency and limit unexpected supply shocks.
Notably, the February unlock follows Ripple’s release of 1 billion XRP at the start of January. On-chain data shows that Ripple once again re-locked a substantial portion of that supply shortly after it became available, with an estimated 60 to 80% returned to escrow. This significantly reduced the amount of XRP that could enter active circulation.
This relocking behavior has become central to Ripple’s escrow strategy. Although 1 billion XRP is unlocked each month, only a smaller share is typically retained for operational use, including liquidity provisioning and institutional distribution.
The remainder is placed into new escrow contracts, extending the release timeline and constraining near-term supply expansion.
Because the escrow releases are predictable and largely offset by relocking, their direct impact on XRP’s market price has historically been limited. Price movements around unlock periods have tended to align more closely with broader market trends and demand conditions than with the escrow events themselves.
In recent months, XRP’s price has largely traded in tandem with the broader cryptocurrency market, despite the emergence of major catalysts such as the rollout of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States and the resolution of the long-running case between Ripple and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
XRP price analysis
By press time, XRP was trading at $1.98, down more than 4% over the past 24 hours. On a weekly basis, the asset has declined by over 3%.
At the current valuation, XRP is trading just below its 50-day SMA near $2.01 and well under the 200-day SMA around $2.53. This alignment keeps the broader trend tilted to the downside, with the long-term average acting as clear overhead resistance and indicating that bullish momentum has yet to recover.
At the same time, the 14-day RSI at roughly 45 remains neutral, suggesting selling pressure is present but not extreme
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Source: https://finbold.com/ripple-set-for-second-1-billion-xrp-unlock-for-2026/