Ripple’s billionaire co-founder dumps $200 million in XRP while fans keep buying in

Chris Larsen, the billionaire co-founder of Ripple, has offloaded a massive tranche of XRP in what looks like a coordinated liquidation spree. According to on-chain tracking, Larsen dumped roughly $196 million worth of XRP over the past 10 days, flooding multiple exchanges with steady outflows from known wallets.

The sell-off began subtly, with daily transfers around 10 million XRP, then scaled into 25 million to 30 million XRP clips routed to exchanges like Kraken and Bitstamp. The total outflows from Larsen-linked wallets crossed 400 million XRP. At current prices, that translates to nearly $200 million in sell pressure.

XRP itself has shown signs of artificial strength during this window. While retail volume stayed elevated, with $1.8 billion in 24-hour trade activity, price movement remained tightly pinned in the $0.55 to $0.61 zone. That kind of compression amid heavy insider unloading suggests someone else is absorbing the risk.

That someone is likely retail.

Larsen’s timing is cold. Just weeks ago, Ripple began teasing further international expansion, staking efforts, and deeper partnerships. XRP’s community buzzed with excitement. But behind the scenes, one of its original architects was walking out the door with a nine-figure exit.

It’s not the first time. CryptoQuant data shows Larsen has historically sold into strength and paused during downturns. This latest move mirrors patterns from late 2021, just before XRP plunged over 45%.

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Retail needs to consider what that means. If one of the most connected insiders is quietly reducing exposure, it raises serious questions. Why now? What does he see ahead?

Exit liquidity isn’t a metaphor. It’s a role. And retail wallets may be playing that role again.

Before chasing momentum, look at who’s unloading and who’s buying. When one of the largest XRP whales cashes out with near-perfect timing, the message is clear: someone gets out first.