Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP through its scheduled monthly escrow release on September 1. According to a report by cryptocurrency media outlet U.Today, the point the market should note is not the released amount itself, but the scale that actually enters the circulating market and the background behind it. Ripple has immediately re-deposited a significant portion of each monthly release, and there is speculation that a similar trend will continue this time.

500 Million, 400 Million, and 100 Million XRP Released in Three Transactions

According to Whale Alert, an on-chain tracking service cited by U.Today, this release was carried out in three transactions split into 500 million, 400 million, and 100 million XRP.

Ripple introduced a structure in late 2017 in which it deposited 55 billion XRP of its own holdings into escrow contracts. It is a self-imposed mechanism to prevent releasing its entire holdings into the market at once, with up to 1 billion XRP automatically released at the beginning of each month on the XRP Ledger.

If Re-escrowed, Actual Circulating Supply Limited to 200-400 Million XRP

Separately from the release, the pattern repeated over the past few months is that Ripple has immediately re-deposited roughly 600-800 million XRP of each release into new escrow contracts. If this trend continues this time, the amount newly flowing into the actual circulating market is estimated to be limited to around 200-400 million XRP.

In monetary terms, this is more concrete. Reflecting the XRP price trading around $1.39 as of the 1st, calculations show this amounts to an effective supply increase of approximately $278 million to $556 million. Notably, compared to June's release, when the price was around $1, the market impact in dollar terms is larger than before even for the same quantity.

Clarity Act Vote Looms... Speculation of Possible Adjustment to Release Volume

Part of the reason this unlock is drawing market attention is its timing. With the U.S. Senate expected to resume a cloture vote on the digital asset market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act after the August recess, speculation has emerged that Ripple could adjust its release volumes in line with the changing regulatory environment through related SEC filings.

Escrow Balance Falls From 32.2 Billion to 31.2 Billion XRP... 31.28% of Total Supply Still Locked

According to U.Today, citing a separate tracking service that aggregates on-chain data, Ripple's on-ledger escrow balance was approximately 32.28 billion XRP as of August 31, and is expected to decline to approximately 31.28 billion XRP after this release. Based on XRP's fixed maximum supply of 100 billion, about 31.28% of the total supply remains locked in escrow.

Related thematic movements have also been observed during the same period. An analysis showed that 231 million XRP, worth roughly $330-335 million, was withdrawn from Binance in a single day, fueling ongoing discussion about whether large holders are exiting exchanges. In addition, an upgrade on the XRP Ledger that secured consensus from more than 82% of node operators is set to be activated in September, meaning protocol-level changes are also coinciding with the supply issue.

Price at $1.39... Short Liquidations of $1.5 Million Exceed Long Liquidations

Looking at price movements, XRP was trading around $1.39 as of the 1st, up roughly 1.7% over 24 hours. Aggregations show it has recorded gains in the 30% range over the past 30 days and in the mid-10% range over 90 days. However, some assessments note that it remains in a downtrend compared to the beginning of the year.

According to U.Today, more than $2.3 million in liquidations occurred in XRP-related positions in a single day during this period, of which short position liquidations of around $1.5 million exceeded long position liquidations of about $790,000.

Three Variables to Watch Going Forward

1) Whether Ripple's release and re-escrow ratios actually change depending on the outcome of the Senate's CLARITY Act-related vote scheduled for September 15 2) Whether the amount re-escrowed this month stays within the existing 600-800 million XRP range or expands due to regulatory changes 3) How network-level changes after the XRP Ledger upgrade activation affect price volatility

However, since the actual impact of these variables has not yet been determined, unfounded, definitive forecasts should be treated with caution.

[This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not recommend buying or selling any specific cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and carry the risk of principal loss, so investment decisions and their consequences are the responsibility of the investor. AI assistance was partially used.]