XRP Token Unlock: Will 1 Billion XRP Release on May 1 Affect Price Stability?

In today’s XRP news, there have been reports of a new batch of XRP tokens unlocking in early May. This news might be worrying to some XRP investors as they might think that the increase in supply might cause problems. However, these token releases have been the norm in the past few years, as we usually unlock every month. Added to this, market data also shows that this token’s open interest and user activity are growing. Based on these developments, an increase in value is expected soon.  

Will the 1 Billion XRP Unlock on May 1 Affect the Price?

Based on the reports, 1 billion XRP tokens will be unlocked on May 1. This amount roughly translates to $2.19 million in value, which will be added to the market. The amount might be worrying, but the unlock schedule of Ripple coins has been ongoing for years now. The tokens will be released with escrow accounts. After that, only a small minority of tokens will be used for operational expenses. Most of the coins released will be going back to the escrow accounts, limiting the effects on the XRP price performance. 

Are XRP Traders Shorting Despite Rising Open Interest?

As reported, the two main wallets will be responsible for releasing tokens. One wallet will be releasing nearly 200 million and 300 million XRP tokens, with two escrows. Another wallet will release the remaining 500 million XRP. Although this release in itself will not really affect the XRP price, some community members still have complaints. They believe that the cumulative releases will bring down the value as the supply increases without the appropriate demand. This comes at a time when the open interest for the XRP is on the rise and is pointing to a positive market sentiment. 

XRP/USDT chart, published on TradingView, April 24, 2025

The XRP/USDT chart shows that the XRP token’s open interest has risen from $3.14 billion to $4.13 billion since April 21. This surge in open interest presents a nearly 32% increase in two days. The number of futures contracts measures the open interest, and the increase in this metric suggests that derivatives traders are back. If these new futures contracts were long, there would be a bullish movement with the XRP price rising; however, they are not. The market data suggests that most of these contracts are shorts, which signals the bearish sentiment. 

Is XRP Set to Rise with Growing Market Buying Pressure?

However, other indicators show a neutral market sentiment as the funding rate has stayed near 0. There is also the aggregated spot tape cumulative volume delta, which can be seen in the XRP/USDT chart. This indicator shows the net difference between the aggressive buy and sell orders across all the markets. The indicator shows a score above zero for the current market performance, which shows that the buying pressure is increasing. Other than these technical indicators, there are also some fundamental developments that can help the XRP price grow. 

One positive fundamental change is the new SEC chair, Paul Atkins. This new official head of the department is known as a crypto-friendly figure. Because of this, the community is excited to see Ripple and the SEC reach an agreement. Such positive XRP news can also help the Ripple coin reach new highs in value. It has also been predicted that the SEC would wait for its new chair before it would vote on any agreement. 

Could Upcoming XRP ETFs Be the Catalyst for a Price Surge?

Following such positive fundamental changes, the number of active XRP addresses has also been rising. We saw a nearly 67.5% increase in active addresses from April 19 to 20. This comes ahead of the launch of more XRP ETFs, which are in line for SEC approval. As such, the future of XRP seems to be bullish as more positive developments are set to come.

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