Expert Says 99% of People May Never Own 1 XRP: Here’s Why

An XRP community pundit has suggested that 99% of the global population may never be able to own up to 1 full XRP token.

Notably, XRP continues to face sharp market swings, yet some community figures see the current phase as a chance to buy at lower prices. Essentially, they argue that today’s prices may not last and that XRP could soon move beyond the reach of most people. 

XRP community commentator AiMan recently discussed this in a video shared on X. He explained why he believes nearly the entire global population may never own even one XRP, focusing his reasoning on a shrinking supply rather than price forecasts.

What XRP Wallet Numbers Reveal About Ownership

At the time of his commentary, XRP traded around $1.86, which AiMan said was effectively close to $2. While many still see this level as affordable, he warned that other structural factors could change this quickly.

AiMan based his argument on XRP wallet statistics. Notably, he pointed out that about 7.4 million XRP wallets have been created since the network launched. Data from XRPScan confirms this, indicating that the XRPL has seen exactly 7,441,445 activated accounts.

However, AiMan stressed that this number does not reflect the true count of XRP holders. Specifically, several individuals and companies operate multiple wallets, with some controlling 3, 5, or even 10 wallets each.

As a result, AiMan highlighted estimates suggesting that only 3 to 6 million people worldwide may actually own XRP. He also mentioned lower estimates that place the number closer to 1 or 2 million. Based on his own assessment, he believes the 1-2 million range likely reflects reality more accurately.

However, even when using a conservative estimate of 5 million holders, XRP ownership remains extremely limited. With a global population of roughly 8 billion people, only a tiny fraction currently holds the asset.

AiMan also cited an estimate attributed to Grok, which placed the number of XRP holders at about 4.8 million people worldwide. This figure equals roughly 0.06% of the global population. In simple terms, only 1 out of every 1,666 people on Earth currently owns XRP.

Shrinking XRP Supply Amid Growing Demand

AiMan explained that this ownership situation creates a barrier to wider participation. For XRP ownership to reach just 1% of the world’s population, 1 out of every 100 people would need to hold XRP. Today’s ratio is far lower. This reveals how limited access already is.

He also called attention to investor behavior. According to AiMan, most XRP holders do not aim to own just 1 token. Many try to build much larger positions, often holding hundreds, thousands, or even millions of XRP. He mentioned the XRP rich list as evidence of this trend.

Interestingly, the trend coincides with a sharp drop in XRP on exchanges. AiMan stated that exchange balances fell from about 4 billion XRP in October and November to roughly 1.5 billion XRP more recently. The Crypto Basic confirmed this last month. AiMan sees the decline as a sign that the available supply continues to tighten.

Why Most People Could Get Priced Out

He argued that falling exchange balances and concentrated ownership could eventually shut most people out of the market. As major institutions such as Ripple, exchanges, and large financial firms retain massive XRP holdings, fewer tokens remain available for everyday buyers.

Although XRP has a maximum supply of 100 billion tokens, AiMan believes distribution and demand matter more than total supply. He suggests that competition to accumulate XRP will intensify as awareness grows, which could push prices higher and limit access for new entrants.

Essentially, AiMan said that anyone who already owns XRP is ahead of the global majority. He noted that many people still lack basic knowledge of cryptocurrency, let alone the discipline to learn, invest, hold, and accumulate over time.