XRP’s Top Holders and Supply Distribution Revealed

XRP has emerged as one of the standout performers in the current cryptocurrency market rally, defying previous doubts about its long-term viability.

The asset’s price has been steadily climbing, bolstered by a broad and varied distribution of tokens among institutional custodians, exchanges, and individual holders.

Of the total 100 billion XRP tokens, roughly 57 billion are currently circulating in the market. A significant portion, around 38.04 billion XRP, is held in Ripple’s escrow accounts. These tokens are released in phases, ensuring controlled liquidity and helping to manage the supply over time. Additionally, approximately 13.18 million XRP have been permanently burned, reducing the total supply to just under 100 billion.

Ripple remains the largest holder of XRP, with its escrow accounts accounting for a substantial portion of the circulating supply. As of December 2024, Ripple’s escrow wallets, labeled Ripple (11), Ripple (10), and Ripple (28), collectively hold around 5 billion XRP. Other major holders include exchanges such as Uphold and Binance, which hold approximately 1.84 billion and 1.83 billion XRP, respectively. Other exchanges like Bithumb, UPbit, and Coincheck also feature prominently among the top holders.

Despite XRP’s wide distribution, the concentration of tokens in a few large entities, especially Ripple, has raised concerns over centralization and control. Some critics, like financial educator Rajat Soni, have even gone as far as to label XRP a ‘scam,’ citing fears of potential price manipulation due to this centralization.

However, it’s important to note that Ripple does not have unilateral control over the XRP Ledger. Changes to the ledger are made through validator consensus, ensuring that no single entity can dictate its direction. Furthermore, the total XRP supply has remained fixed at 100 billion since its creation, reinforcing the asset’s structural stability.