- Ripple founders, including Chris Larsen and Brad Garlinghouse, along with centralized exchanges, are the dominant XRP holders.
- Ripple’s own address contains nearly 2 billion XRP, making it the top wallet in the XRP rich list.
Diving into the XRP Rich Pool
XRP, Ripple Network’s digital token, stands strong as the 6th largest cryptocurrency by market cap, despite facing challenges from the SEC lawsuit and seasonal crypto downturns. With a max supply of 100 billion, over half, precisely 50.26 billion, is in active circulation. But, who really holds sway over this vast ocean of XRP?
Luminaries of the XRP Universe
The digital wallets boasting the highest volume of XRP tokens typically belong to Ripple’s founding members and the stewards of its vision, like Chris Larsen and Brad Garlinghouse. Also on this elite list are powerhouse exchanges, including Binance, Kraken, and Uphold. These exchanges often represent pooled holdings, as they maintain vast reserves of XRP, reflecting their users’ deposits. For instance, Binance alone claims 72.17% of the XRP (BEP20 type) present on exchanges, equating to a jaw-dropping 162.9 million XRP.
When we cast our net a little wider, the ten most loaded XRP wallets collectively hold around 10.799 billion XRP, currently valued at approximately $4.9 billion. Zooming out to the top 50 addresses, these control a staggering 13.2 billion XRP, translating to 26.4% of all circulating XRP.
Ripple, the custodian of the XRP token, dominates this list, holding the premier spot with its address containing just shy of 2 billion XRP. Ripple’s influence doesn’t end there; it also holds the second and ninth spots on the list.
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Founders’ XRP Legacy
Ripple’s inception saw its founders – Chris Larsen, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Brito – earmarking a whopping 20 billion XRP for themselves. While Jed McCaleb took 9 billion XRP with him after parting ways with Ripple in 2014, and has since liquidated his holdings, other co-founders have been more cautious. The shadow of the SEC lawsuit, deeming XRP a potential security, has possibly deterred large-scale sales by Ripple insiders. This legal limbo also explains why some US-based exchanges have refrained from listing XRP.
A peek into Forbes’ data reveals Chris Larsen, co-founder and ex-CEO, holding an impressive stash of over 5 billion XRP, with at least half of this traceable to known addresses. Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s current helm, also boasts significant holdings, though exact figures remain elusive.
As Ripple continues to navigate regulatory waters and XRP maintains its allure for investors, the dynamics of this list might shift. But for now, these are the titans of the XRP world.
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