TLDR
- Ripple released 1 billion XRP worth ~$1.38 billion from escrow on September 1, 2026, with locked supply now at 31.28 billion tokens.
- XRP rallied 28.5% in August, its best August since 2021, hitting $1.70 before settling near $1.42.
- XRP Ledger payment volume spiked 521% in a single week in late August, driven by large institutional transfers.
- Spot XRP ETFs pulled in $153.55 million in August, with most inflows arriving in the final two weeks.
- RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin, crossed $2.32 billion in market cap, dominating stablecoin activity on XRPL.
Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP on September 1, 2026. The price went up anyway.
RIPPLE ESCROW JUST UNLOCKED 1 BILLION $XRP. 💥✅
500M $XRP.
400M $XRP.
100M $XRP.1,000,000,000 $XRP UNLOCKED. 🔓💥
The monthly escrow cycle is officially in motion. pic.twitter.com/92PxY1F0ys
— XRP Update (@XrpUdate) September 1, 2026
The monthly escrow release — once a source of fear for retail traders — has become a non-event. Three transactions of 500 million, 400 million, and 100 million XRP hit the market within minutes. The total was worth around $1.38 billion. XRP was trading at $1.38 when the tokens unlocked and sat at $1.42 five days later.
The escrow program started in December 2017. Ripple locked 55 billion XRP into time-based contracts to reduce concerns about centralized supply control. Each month, up to 1 billion tokens are released. Ripple typically re-escrows 700 to 900 million of those, leaving only 100 to 300 million for actual market use.
That means the real supply addition each month is a fraction of the headline number. Historical data shows monthly releases produce average 7-day price swings of just -3.1% to +1.7%. The remaining escrow balance now stands at 31.28 billion tokens.
August’s Rally Set the Stage
XRP entered August near $1.10 and climbed 28.5% by month end, touching $1.70 on August 28. That was its strongest August since 2021.
The move was driven by institutional buyers, not retail traders. Spot XRP ETFs, approved in March 2026, pulled in $153.55 million during August, with $150.28 million arriving in the final two weeks alone. Retail exchange volume actually declined slightly during the rally.
Cumulative ETF inflows now stand at $1.68 billion, with total net assets at $1.48 billion. On September 4, XRP ETFs recorded zero daily net inflows, though assets held steady.
$XRP LOOKS INCREDIBLE. 🔥🔥
The macro downtrend is broken.
The rounded bottom is complete.
Multiple measured moves point toward the same target.RECLAIM $1.50 AND $2.30 WILL COME FASTER THAN EXPECTED. 💥📈 pic.twitter.com/y1qlF3yFE2
— XRP Update (@XrpUdate) September 6, 2026
On-Chain Activity Hit Record Levels
Active addresses on the XRP Ledger reached 2.26 million in August, more than double July’s 1.02 million. The 7-day average for daily active addresses hit 1.34 million, a new all-time high.
Payment volume surged 521% in a single week in late August, pushing daily volume to around 488.4 million XRP. Individual transaction count actually fell 10.5%, meaning fewer but much larger transfers — a sign of institutional or enterprise-scale activity.
Total value locked on XRPL rose from $32.31 million in July to $44.42 million in August.
$XRP looks amazing…
The $2.30 level could come sooner than expected.
Multiple formations and technical setups are perfectly pointing toward the same target. pic.twitter.com/YNfF2vCi8j
— Celal Kucuker (@CelalKucuker) September 6, 2026
Analyst Celal Kucuker posted on X that XRP “looks amazing,” pointing to multiple technical formations all targeting the $2.30 level, suggesting that price “could come sooner than expected” if XRP reclaims $1.50.
As of September 7, XRP trades near $1.42, holding above the key $1.40 support level. The Senate delayed the CLARITY Act again before recess, adding regulatory uncertainty. The Senate returns September 14, with a Fed meeting scheduled for September 15–16.
