Ripple has once again released a massive 1 billion XRP, but this time, something is different. Unlike previous months, the unlocking occurred two days later than usual, sparking speculation across the cryptocurrency world. Is Ripple changing its strategy, or is a bigger move coming?
Meanwhile, the price of XRP has dropped, and analysts predict major fluctuations in the near future.
1 billion XRP released, but with a delay
According to Whale Alert, a popular cryptocurrency transaction tracking
tool, Ripple transferred 1 billion XRP from an escrow account in three
separate transactions. The largest transfer was 500 million XRP, worth
over 1 billion USD, followed by two other transfers of 200 million XRP
each, totaling hundreds of millions.
🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 🔓 500,000,000 #XRP (1,020,192,378 USD) unlocked from escrow at #Ripplehttps://t.co/6CmkMweioW
— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) April 3, 2025
What’s catching the market’s attention is not only the scale of the release but also the timing. Ripple typically unlocks XRP at the beginning of each month, but this time, the release occurred on April 3rd instead of April 1st. Previously, Ripple had locked 700 million XRP in two separate transactions on April 2nd.
This small but unusual timing change has led to speculation. Some traders believe it signals that Ripple is preparing for a big market move.
Is there a change in strategy?
Since 2017, Ripple has followed a predictable schedule—unlocking 1 billion
XRP each month while locking up around 700 million to control the supply.
However, recently, things have started to change.
In March, the release also took place on the 3rd rather than the 1st. Now, the same has happened in April. Some traders believe this could be an intentional adjustment, possibly signaling an upcoming change in Ripple’s market strategy.
The XRP community reacted quickly, with social media flooded with speculation. Many users questioned whether something big was about to happen, while others pointed out that these releases are typical. One user commented, "They always lock most of it. Are you all new here?"
XRP price drops as analysts predict big changes
After Ripple's latest XRP unlock, the token's price dropped 5% in the past
24 hours, falling below the key $2.00 mark.
Famous cryptocurrency analyst Egrag shared his thoughts, calling the current market phase "boring" but suggesting that significant price fluctuations may be on the horizon.
#XRP - April Candle Formation Forecast
— EGRAG CRYPTO (@egragcrypto) April 2, 2025
April is shaping up to be a dynamic month where we’ll see tests at both ends of the range. Here's what to expect:
1⃣ Lows Testing: #XRP will likely revisit the lows around $1.90-$1.79—this will be a wicking process.
2⃣ Highs Testing:… pic.twitter.com/6RqfsLX5OS
He predicts that XRP could rise to $2.80–$3.00 in April but warns that this price increase might only be temporary. At the same time, he expects the price could drop to $1.90–$1.79, but believes this decline will not last long.
What’s next for XRP?
Ripple's small but notable changes in its XRP release schedule have caught
the market's attention. Whether this is just a minor adjustment or the
beginning of something bigger remains to be seen.
At present, all eyes are on Ripple’s next move. Traders and analysts will be closely monitoring to see if this pattern continues in the coming months.