What Is XRP? The Token, Ripple and Escrow Explained

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry a high degree of risk. Always conduct your own research.XRP is the cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, Ripple the company with the largest stake. How many XRP exist, who holds them, what the end of the SEC case means and which risks remain.XRP is the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, a public blockchain that has been running since June 2012. All 100 billion XRP were created at launch, no new coins are ever issued, and every transaction destroys a small fee. Ripple, the US company, is not XRP but its largest holder: it keeps 31.4 billion XRP in time-locked escrow accounts and another 4.1 billion in freely available wallets. On October 21, 2026, one XRP cost $1.38, giving a market capitalisation of $87.3 billion and fifth place among all cryptocurrencies, according to CoinMarketCap. The SEC's case against Ripple ended in August 2025, and spot XRP ETFs have traded in the United States since November 2025. This explainer covers how many XRP exist, who holds them, what the token is used for and which risks matter. The network's techn...