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VISTORBELITUNG.COM,The question about who owns 80% of XRP and who holds the remaining 20% is directly related to the unique way this digital asset was created and distributed. Unlike many cryptocurrencies that are mined, the entire supply of 100 billion XRP tokens was pre-mined when the XRP Ledger (XRPL) was created.
Here is a breakdown based on the historical initial distribution:
Who Owns the 80%?
The majority of the XRP supply, specifically 80 billion XRP (or 80% of the total 100 billion supply), was gifted by the founders of the XRP Ledger Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz to the company they established, which is now known as Ripple Labs Inc. (usually just referred to as Ripple).
Ripple Labs Inc. is the technology company that offers enterprise blockchain solutions on the XRP Ledger. This substantial initial allocation was intended to fund the company's development, promote the adoption of the XRP Ledger, and incentivize use of the Ripple payment network, RippleNet.
Escrow: To manage this large supply and prevent the market from being flooded, Ripple Labs has placed a significant portion of its XRP holdings into secure escrow accounts. These smart contracts release a set amount of XRP (e.g., 1 billion) each month, with any unreleased portion being returned to escrow to be released in future months. This mechanism aims to make the distribution predictable and transparent.
Who Owns the Remaining 20%?
The remaining 20% of the initial 100 billion XRP supply was kept by the XRP Ledger's original founders.
• Founders: The 20 billion XRP was split among the three founders: Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz, as their personal holdings.
• Other Early Contributors: This portion also includes tokens distributed to other early contributors and developers who helped launch the XRP Ledger.
Over time, this 20% has been liquidated, spent, or distributed into the broader market by the founders, although some, like Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, still hold a considerable amount.
Current Ownership in Circulation
It's important to distinguish between the initial distribution and the current circulation and ownership.
• Initial Holders: The initial 80/20 split refers to the total supply of 100 billion XRP tokens that were created at inception.
• Current Distribution: Today, the circulating supply of XRP (the tokens not locked in Ripple's escrow) is distributed among millions of addresses and entities worldwide. Key current holders include:
• Ripple Labs Inc.: Still the largest holder, controlling the majority of the total supply, largely locked in escrow.
• Cryptocurrency Exchanges: Major exchanges like Binance and Upbit hold large amounts of XRP on behalf of their users.
• Individual Investors and Whales: Large-volume individual holders, which often include the founders.
• The Public: Millions of smaller retail investors and users of the XRP Ledger.
In summary, the 80/20 split refers to the original distribution of the total XRP supply between Ripple Labs Inc. and the founders/early developers of the XRP Ledger, with Ripple being the primary custodian of the 80% that funds its operations and ecosystem growth.