Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen has come under fire from the crypto community after transferring 50 million XRP—valued at approximately $175 million—to exchanges just as cryptocurrency prices reached recent local highs.
Source: xrpscan
Many observers accused Larsen of intentionally taking advantage of the peak to sell, prompting a fresh wave of scrutiny over major token holders’ influence on the market.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported suspicious transactions on July 24, revealing that roughly $140 million worth of the transferred XRP was sent directly to centralized exchanges and related services. In the crypto world, such large movements to exchanges are often interpreted as preparation for major sales.
Since July 17, 2025 an address linked to Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen transferred out 50M XRP ($175M) to four addresses.
~$140M ended up at exchanges/services
30M XRP recipient
rPS9kVPbgZF4vXq2hs6s9Xv2754qdRau98
rnQXgGAjqbF4KoBpcBK5YBHyZEL7nGWWoi
10M XRP recipient…— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) July 24, 2025
“Wallets linked to Chris Larsen still contain over 2.81 billion XRP, worth $8.4 billion,” ZachXBT noted in response to a user who questioned the continued appeal of XRP to buyers.
This means Larsen controls an estimated 4.6% of the total XRP market capitalization. Analysts warn that sudden, large-scale sales by holders of this magnitude can exert significant downward pressure on token prices.
Timing raises eyebrows
The timing of the transfers has led to heightened suspicion. The transactions occurred between July 17 and July 23—a period when XRP reached a high of $3.66 before slipping below $3.04. This has fueled allegations from some community members that Larsen was offloading tokens at an opportune moment.
Community reactions on social media were heated, with several users expressing frustration over what they perceive as a pattern of insider selling within major projects.
Some questioned how Ripple maintains its position among the top five cryptocurrencies given claims of “predatory selling” by insiders.
As of publication time, Chris Larsen had not publicly commented on the transfers.
Calls for greater transparency
The incident has reignited debate over the need for greater transparency among large token holders.
Market analysts and advocates argue that when individuals possess such a significant share—nearly 5%—of a cryptocurrency’s total supply, their trading activity can have major ripple effects throughout the community.
Many believe increased disclosure around large transfers and insider holdings is vital for market trust and stability.
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Source:: Ripple Co-Founder Chris Larsen Under Scrutiny After $175 Million XRP Transfer During Price Highs