Ripple Labs holds 42% of the total 100 billion XRP supply, with 4.5 billion XRP in liquid holdings and 35 billion locked in escrow for operational use. The company releases 1 billion XRP per month through a smart contract mechanism to fund operational expenses and provide liquidity for its On-Demand Liquidity Service.

Chris Larsen, Ripple co-founder, owns over 2.5 billion XRP worth $7 billion, distributed across eight crypto wallets. In July 2025, Larsen made significant sell-offs totaling $175 million when XRP reached seven-year highs above $3. His holdings represent 4.6% of the entire XRP market cap, making him one of the wealthiest XRP owners.

Popular exchanges like Upbit, Binance, Uphold, and Coinbase hold billions of XRP in customer funds. Upbit leads with around 6 billion XRP, showcasing strong Korean retail demand. Coinbase reduced its holdings by 57% in a month, likely due to strategic repositioning. Understanding exchange holdings offers insights into retail ownership and demand.

Whale accumulation of XRP has reached record levels in 2025, with wallets holding over 1 million XRP reaching 2,708 addresses. Institutional confidence in XRP is reflected in the increasing number of whale wallets and daily active addresses on the XRP Ledger. The highly concentrated ownership raises concerns about decentralization.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Who Owns the Most XRP in 2025? The Rich List Revealed