What Is XRP? The Token, Ripple and Escrow Explained

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.