Ripple Unlocks 500,000,000 More XRP in Surprising July Maneuver

Ripple finished its July escrow release with a second unexpected unlock of 500 million XRP on July 4. This drop came after an initial 500 million release on July 1, which surprised the market with a split rollout instead of the usual one-time, one billion XRP unlock.

The second transfer was spotted by Whale Alert, and XRPwallets confirmed it. They said that the July cycle was now officially closed, with a total of one billion XRP unlocked and 700 million XRP relocked.

The rest of the 300 million XRP is reportedly going toward ecosystem utilities like on-demand liquidity (ODL), exchange-traded products and other infrastructure needs.

This split approach is just part of a bigger change in how Ripple manages its XRP reserves. Since March, the company has been moving away from a rigid formula of unlocking and immediately relocking most of the supply

Instead, it now staggers, unlocks and redirects flows based on real-time demand and internal strategies.

The XRP escrow system is still run by smart contracts, but Ripple is using that system in a more dynamic way. With the market changing and token utility evolving, the company is choosing to be flexible instead of predictable.

Right now, Ripple has about 36.4 billion XRP in escrow and around five billion XRP in liquid reserves. The company's tactics are changing, and it looks like it is focusing more on strategic allocation instead of just issuing things regularly.

For traders and analysts, the main point is that Ripple's actions are no longer tied to the calendar. Ripple seems to be taking a more measured approach now, rather than making significant moves all at once.

The full July unlock happened. It was just not what anyone expected.