Why is 10 XRP an unspendable balance?
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Why can't I just withdraw my 10 remaining XRP?
The Ripple Ledger has a minimum reserve requirement of 10 XRP that can't be withdrawn. The reason behind it is to reduce the load on the ledger, prevent it from growing excessively large, and protect it from spam. Since the requirement was set out by the ledger, it'll still be there no matter which non-custodial wallet you're using for your Ripple.
What about custodial services?
With custodial services, such as exchanges, you're sharing your address with multiple other accounts. You have your personal Destination Tag, or Memo, that ensures your funds won't be lost, yet the address itself isn't yours. The exchange takes care of the minimum balance, but you're no longer in full control of your private keys.
Non-custodial wallets (such as Atomic Wallet), on the other hand, create a unique address for you. While you have to fund the reserve requirement yourself, the address is yours only to manage.
How do I delete my Ripple account?
In case you want to deactivate your wallet, you'll only be able to withdraw 5 of your remaining XRP. 5 coins will be burnt to delete the account. Please keep in mind that this cannot be reversed, so proceed with caution.
- Withdraw everything from your account, leaving just 10 XRP on your balance;
- Download the XUMM wallet app for your platform (iOS or Android) here;
- Open Atomic Wallet;
- In your Atomic Wallet app, tap the 'More' button at the bottom of the screen
- Find the 'Security' button in this menu and tap it
- Find 'Private Keys & Backup'
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Read the warning and tick off the 'I've read and understood' box. Tap 'Show private keys'.
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Find XRP in the list. Tap it and then copy your XRP private key by pressing the 'Copy' button at the bottom
- Open your XUMM app. Go through with setting up your account, which includes choosing a passcode and getting some basic security tips.
- Tap on Add account.
- Tap on Import existing account.
- Choose Full access. You’ll need this a bit later to let the XUMM app sign the account deletion transaction for you.
- Choose Family Seed.
- Paste your XRP private key into the field and tap Confirm.
- Go to XUMM.community and click Sign in with Humm. You'll be prompted with a QR code.
- On your phone, tap the scanner icon in the bottom panel and scan the QR code. Make sure to do it while signed in to the account you want to be deleted.
- Scroll the xumm.community page down and click on Account delete.
- Now, paste the address you want your 5 XRP transferred to. Bear in mind that your funds may be lost if you send them to a custodial address, which includes exchanges (e.g. Binance). Since you'll only want to use a non-custodial app, you can just skip the Memo field.
- Hit the Send Account Delete to XUMM button and sign the account deletion transaction on your phone.
- Voila! Your account is now deleted, and your remaining 5 XRP will be sent to your chosen address.
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