XRP Ownership: Unveiling the Elite Holders in 2025

The cryptocurrency market often generates intrigue, especially concerning the distribution of digital assets. XRP, a prominent digital currency, has navigated a complex journey. Its ownership structure in 2025 reveals a fascinating landscape of dominant players and emerging trends. This article delves into the crucial question: who owns the most XRP? We will explore the key entities and individuals shaping the XRP ecosystem.

Ripple XRP Holdings: The Unquestioned Dominance

Ripple Labs stands as the undisputed largest owner of XRP. The company controls approximately 42% of the total 100 billion XRP supply. This significant stake is unsurprising; Ripple developed the XRP Ledger and created the digital currency itself. Their massive holdings are divided into two main categories:

• 4.5 billion XRP in liquid holdings for operational use.
• 35 billion XRP securely locked in escrow.

Ripple operates a strategic escrow release system. This system unlocks a predictable monthly amount of XRP. Typically, 1 billion XRP becomes available each month through a smart contract mechanism on the XRP Ledger. This method aims to manage supply effectively and maintain price stability. Ripple uses these released funds to cover operational expenses and provide liquidity for its On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) Service. Importantly, Ripple does not flood the markets with new XRP every month. Instead, the company relocks 60% or more of the monthly unlocked funds. This careful treasury management prevents rapid depletion of their reserves. The current relocking pattern suggests Ripple will likely remain at the top of the XRP rich list for many years. However, such concentrated control raises valid concerns about decentralization. While it offers flexibility, it also grants Ripple significant influence over market dynamics, a double-edged sword for the crypto community.

Did you know? Over 6.6 million active XRP wallets exist. Yet, many of these might be small or inactive. Furthermore, a notable share likely belongs to repeat users with multiple addresses. Therefore, fewer than 1 million unique XRP holders may exist worldwide.

Chris Larsen’s Billionaire Empire: Who Owns the Most XRP Individually?

It comes as no surprise that Ripple co-founder and executive chairman Chris Larsen ranks as the largest individual XRP ownership holder. He possesses over 2.5 billion XRP, valued at approximately $7 billion. Larsen strategically distributes his holdings across eight distinct crypto wallets. Blockchain explorers have tagged these wallets for transparency. Wallets No. 1 through 4 still contain just over 500 million XRP. These specific wallets have never made any outbound transfers. Larsen received these funds as a founder’s gift back in 2013.

However, wallet No. 5 showed selling activity during 2025. Its holdings decreased from 500 million XRP to 280 million. In July 2025, Larsen executed significant sell-offs. He made headlines when $175 million worth of XRP transferred onto exchanges after July 17. These sales coincided with XRP reaching seven-year highs, surpassing $3. Despite these transactions, Larsen’s total holdings represent 4.6% of the entire XRP market cap. This position makes him not only one of the wealthiest XRP owners but also one of crypto’s richest individuals. Even as an individual, he retains enough XRP to significantly influence market dynamics. As ZachXBT noted on X, “Wallets linked to Chris Larsen only have another 2.81B XRP ($8.4B) left!” This demonstrates his enduring impact.

Did you know? To enter the top 10% of the XRP rich list, you needed only 2,396 XRP, valued at about $7,000, as of August 2025.

XRP Exchange Powerhouses: Custodial Holdings and Retail Demand

Billions of dollars in customer funds reside on exchange platforms. These funds are used for daily trading activity or for long-term storage. Several of the world’s most popular exchanges feature prominently on the XRP rich list. Upbit, the prominent Korean exchange, leads this group with approximately 6 billion XRP in custody. This figure clearly indicates incredibly strong Korean retail demand. It also highlights significant institutional trading volume. Binance holds the second position among exchanges, with over 2.7 billion XRP spread across its multiple custody wallets. Uphold has recently expanded its position, now holding nearly 2 billion XRP. Coinbase follows with 780 million XRP.

Interestingly, Coinbase’s XRP holdings dropped substantially since Q2 2025. This reduction likely represents strategic repositioning rather than regulatory caution. The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) case against Ripple Labs was dropped earlier in August 2025. This landmark decision granted XRP unprecedented judicial standing in the United States. Still, Coinbase cut its holdings by 57% in a single month. Meanwhile, competitors continued to expand their reserves. It is crucial to remember that exchange holdings primarily represent customer assets. They are not institutional trading positions. Therefore, understanding which exchanges hold large XRP amounts offers insight into retail ownership and demand. This differs from direct institutional control.

Did you know? Only 100 addresses control around 68% of the total circulating supply of XRP in 2025. This makes it one of the most concentrated cryptocurrencies among top market cap assets.

The Rise of XRP Whales: Accumulation and Institutional Confidence

The year 2025 has been pivotal for XRP. It transitioned from a crypto pariah, entangled in an SEC lawsuit, to an asset with clear legal standing. This newfound clarity fueled significant momentum. XRP whales, large holders of the cryptocurrency, began accumulating at record rates. In June 2025, a notable milestone occurred: the number of wallets holding more than 1 million XRP reached 2,708 addresses. This represents the highest level in XRP’s 12-year history. Each of these whale wallets contains over $2 million worth of XRP at 2025 prices. This trend strongly reflects growing institutional confidence in the asset.

Furthermore, the XRP Ledger saw a surge in daily active addresses, climbing to 295,000 in June 2025. This activity spike indicates renewed interest from both retail and institutional participants. It marks a nearly seven-fold jump from the trailing three-month average of 35,000-40,000 active addresses. XRPScan offers a public view into the rich list. Ripple’s escrow wallets continue to hold the largest amounts, totaling 5 billion XRP. Beyond these, the notable rich list wallets link to known global exchanges. Only two anonymous trader wallets appear in the top 20. The increased activity and whale accumulation signal a robust belief in XRP’s future value.

Concentrated Ownership and the XRP Rich List: Decentralization Concerns

The data from 2025 clearly reveals highly concentrated XRP ownership. Ripple Labs undeniably dominates every metric. This includes the significant stake held by Chris Larsen, whose XRP holdings total over $8 billion. This concentration raises valid decentralization concerns. These worries are amplified when combined with record-breaking whale accumulation and the growth in institutional wallets. The core ethos of cryptocurrency often champions decentralization. Yet, XRP’s structure presents a different model. The legal clarity achieved after a five-year lawsuit fuels increased confidence among institutional investors. This development is a powerful catalyst for growth.

Exchanges are also accumulating funds at historic levels. Customer custody deposits significantly swell these numbers on the rich list. This metric suggests that token ownership remains highly appealing to retail investors, despite the underlying concerns about concentration. While the legal victory offers a bullish outlook, the distribution of wealth within the XRP ecosystem remains a critical topic. It influences market stability, potential manipulation, and the long-term vision for the asset. Understanding these dynamics is essential for any XRP holder or interested observer.