Why reserves exist
Every XRPL server must store the network's current state. Creating large numbers of accounts and ledger objects consumes shared memory and storage across those servers. Reserve requirements discourage low-cost state spam by tying an XRP balance requirement to accounts and the objects they own.
The reserve is not transferred to another party. It remains in the account but is generally unavailable for ordinary outgoing payments while the requirement applies. An account can use XRP below its reserve to cover transaction costs, though falling below the requirement restricts other actions.
Base reserve and owner reserve
The base reserve is the minimum associated with maintaining an account. The owner reserve adds an incremental requirement for qualifying ledger objects owned by that account, including many offers, trust lines, escrows, signer lists, payment channels, and other entries.
As reviewed on August 22, 2026, the official Mainnet figures are 1 XRP for the base reserve and 0.2 XRP per owner object. Special cases exist, including an exception involving an account's first two trust lines, so a simple object count does not capture every edge case.
Estimating an account's requirement
A basic estimate is base reserve plus owner count multiplied by the incremental reserve. The account_info API exposes OwnerCount, while server_info and server_state expose current network reserve settings in different units.
Applications should use live validated-ledger data rather than hard-coding today's figures. Amendments and fee voting can change reserve behavior, and specialized objects can have rules that differ from the simple estimate.
Open the related live demo or evidence lab →What happens below reserve
An account below its current requirement still exists. It can receive XRP and may submit transactions that do not send XRP away or increase its reserve obligation, provided it can cover the transaction cost. Receiving enough XRP or removing owned objects can restore flexibility.
This is why a wallet's total balance may not equal its immediately spendable balance. Wallet interfaces should distinguish between the ledger balance, current reserve requirement, transaction cost, and the amount available for a proposed payment.