Is Ripple Selling $XRP Behind the Scenes? On-Chain Clues Have Emerged

A storm is forming in the XRP community as blockchain analysts and cryptocurrency commentators criticize Ripple Labs for secretly liquidating millions of XRP in intermediary wallets - contrary to the company's public assurances about its escrowed reserve. The allegations, starting with suspicious transfer amounts from the exchange to an e-wallet and a $300 million transaction with Webus International, have once again raised controversy over transparency and regulatory compliance at this San Francisco-based company. Allegations: Unlocking margin, Concealed cash flow Behind the dramatic events at the center are Ripple's monthly escrow releases. While the company has previously asserted that 55 billion XRP (55% of the circulating supply) is bound in escrow contracts, critics have referenced on-chain evidence of small portions of these unlocked tokens being sent to untagged addresses before they reach exchanges. The blockchain analytics company Santiment tracked a series of transactions in early June when 120 million XRP (54 million dollars) were transferred from a known Ripple escrow account to an unidentified wallet labeled "rP4X2.sKxv3". Within just a few hours, this amount was split into smaller batches and sent to Bitstamp, Bitso, and other exchanges — a trend that some attribute to previous sell-offs. "This is not about scheduled unlocking. The issue is that Ripple uses hidden wallets to conceal the organization's sell-off." — @Crypto_Sleuth_2025 (June 5, 2025) Webus connection: A compliant backdoor? The scandal erupted after the Asian mobile company Webus International Ltd. revealed a treasury of XRP worth 300 million dollars managed by the advisor registered with the SEC, Samara Alpha. Crypto analyst Darkhorse believes that such an arrangement allows Ripple to sell XRP to intermediaries like Samara, who then sell the tokens to enterprise customers—bypassing the 2024 court order regarding direct sales to institutions without SEC approval. "Ripple's 'compliance by design' backdoor allows them to move XRP without triggering securities laws. It's structured, not random." — @Darkhorse ( on June 4, 2025 ) Ripple denies any partnership with Webus, stating that they "do not control third-party XRP purchases." However, the blockchain analytics firm ChainArgos has observed a group of wallets linked to both Ripple and Samara Alpha, raising suspicions of coordination. Ripple's response: "Fiction is more than reality" In response to NewsBTC, Ripple's Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, dismissed these allegations as "conspiracy theories," firmly asserting that every escrow release is planned in advance and transparent. "The XRP ledger is public. Every transaction is visible. To suggest that we are secretly dumping tokens ignores both our data and our legal obligations." — David Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer of Ripple The company has also referred to its Q1 2025 market report, which identifies XRP sales as $240 million - all of which are ODL transactions (Liquidity on demand), not open market transactions of the institution. Divided community: Genius or avoidance? XRP holders are divided. Some welcome Ripple's alleged genius in avoiding legal hurdles, while others are concerned that stealthy sell-offs will continue to push the price down. "If Ripple sells at a loss through an intermediary, retail investors will be the ones holding. It's time for an independent audit on-chain." Meanwhile, pro-Ripple commentators like Jay Nisbett argue that these criticisms are excessive: "Webus buying XRP through Samara is just the company's acceptance. It is no different from MicroStrategy holding Bitcoin." What's next? With a price drop of 12% since June 1st, investors are advised to closely monitor the following two measures: Escrow wallet activity: Unlocking or transferring suspicious funds may be an act of transferring money. Net cash flow on the exchange: Long-term cash flow without retail demand may be institutional selling. Regulatory agencies are also monitoring. The SEC is currently in court fighting against Ripple but may consider the Webus-Samara structure for securities law issues. As allegations grow, one thing is certain: in cryptocurrency, even the "most transparent" blockchains cannot eliminate the shadow of doubt without disclosure.

View Original
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
  • Reward
  • Comment
  • Share
Comment
0/400
No comments
Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate app
Community
English
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)