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How to Buy XRP Safely, and Hold It Yourself

Updated 2026-10-30

Short answer: buy XRP on a large, regulated exchange, then withdraw it to a wallet you control on the XRP Ledger. A new XRP Ledger address needs at least 1 XRP to exist. When you send XRP to an exchange, always include the destination tag it gives you. Send a small test first.

What the XRP Ledger is

XRP is the coin of the XRP Ledger, a blockchain built for fast, cheap payments. Transactions settle in a few seconds for a fraction of a cent. Our XRP Ledger start here page explains it in more detail.

1. Buy it on an exchange

Pick one large, regulated exchange you can deposit dollars into, and lock down the account first: an authenticator app for two-step login, and a withdrawal allow-list if the exchange offers one. See exchange or your own wallet.

2. Set up your own wallet

Wallets that hold XRP include Xaman (a phone wallet made for the XRP Ledger) and hardware wallets such as Trezor and Ledger, which support XRP directly. Write the seed phrase on paper and keep it offline. See seed phrases and hardware wallets.

3. The reserve: why a new address needs 1 XRP

Every XRP Ledger address must keep a small amount of XRP locked as a reserve: currently 1 XRP, plus a little more for each extra item it holds, such as a token trust line. The validators can change these amounts by vote. Until an address receives its first 1 XRP, it doesn't exist on the ledger, so a first deposit smaller than that fails.

4. Withdraw, and use tags when sending to an exchange

From the exchange: Withdraw → XRP → XRP Ledger network, then paste your wallet address. Your own wallet doesn't need a tag.

Going the other way, to an exchange, is where people lose XRP:

  • Exchanges use one shared address for many customers and tell them apart by the destination tag (a number). Without it, the exchange may not know the deposit is yours.
  • Copy the address and the tag from the exchange's deposit page every time.
  • If you forgot the tag, contact the exchange's support with the transaction ID. They can often find it, but it can take time.

Watch out

  • "Send XRP, get double back" giveaways are always scams, even with a famous name or face on them.
  • Look-alike addresses. Check the first and last characters against the source. Our address checker also flags exchange-deposit patterns and look-alikes of your saved addresses.
  • Unknown tokens sent to your wallet are often lures. Don't follow links in their names.

Do this

  1. Buy a small amount of XRP on one large exchange, with the account locked down.
  2. Set up Xaman or a hardware wallet, and back up the seed phrase on paper.
  3. Withdraw at least 1 XRP more than you plan to use, so the address exists and keeps its reserve.
  4. When sending to an exchange, always include the destination tag, and test with a small amount first.
  5. See what your XRP address holds on our Portfolio.