The timing of the escrow release adds complexity to XRP’s near-term outlook. XRP ended December 2025 with a red monthly close of negative 14.8%. Notably, this was the first time XRP closed December in the red since 2022. An influx of unlocked tokens during such a period can increase bearish sentiment, particularly among short-term traders sensitive to supply changes.
Relocking Activity As Ripple Repeats Its PlaybookHistory shows Ripple always relocks between 70% and 80% of each monthly escrow release, a practice that has helped soften long-term supply shocks. Interestingly, activity after the unlocks indicates this approach was repeated within 24 hours of the unlocks. Transaction records from XRPScan reveal that funds exiting the Ripple (9) wallet were quickly routed toward new escrow arrangements, and a substantial share of the newly released supply was removed from immediate circulation.
Millions of tokens were sent out from both Ripple (9) and Ripple (28) simultaneously. At 17:17 UTC, an escrow creation transaction locked 500 million XRP into the Ripple (15) address, followed by another escrow creation at 17:21 UTC that secured an additional 100 million XRP in the same wallet.
Parallel activity was also observed from Ripple (14), where a separate escrow creation locked 100 million XRP at 17:19 UTC. Combined, these transactions accounted for 700 million XRP already placed back into escrow.
