David Schwartz, former CTO of Ripple, has rejected claims that the crypto company has centralized control over the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The criticism came from Justin Bons, who argued that XRPL’s Unique Node List (UNL) system gives Ripple too much influence over the consensus mechanism. According to Bons, this structure could allow transaction censorship, double-spends, or forced network changes if validators follow Ripple’s recommendations too closely.
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Responding on X this week, Schwartz said the allegations were “objectively nonsensical”. He compared it to the idea that a Bitcoin (BTC-USD) miner with a majority of hash power could freely print billions of BTC without the agreement of the rest of the network.
Schwartz Defends XRPL Decentralization
Schwartz explained that XRPL operates through a distributed validator system comprising more than 1,000 independent nodes. The network uses a federated consensus model in which validators choose which other validators they trust.
He said that even if some validators act maliciously, honest nodes would simply ignore invalid votes. In extreme cases where a dishonest majority forms, the network could temporarily halt from the perspective of honest participants, but this would not prevent fraudulent transactions from going through. If needed, users could switch to a new UNL, as the Bitcoin community did after a major attack, by changing its mining algorithm.
Schwartz also stated that no XRPL transaction has ever been reordered, delayed, or selectively blocked. He added that the system was intentionally designed so Ripple itself could not control it.
XRPL Repositions Amid Ongoing Debate
The debate reflects a broader discussion in crypto about decentralization models. Unlike proof-of-work (POW) systems such as Bitcoin, XRPL relies on trusted validator lists to prevent spam and Sybil attacks.
Critics argue that, because Ripple publishes a recommended UNL and many validators follow it, the company may still exert indirect influence. Supporters further counter that validators are free to choose their own lists and that no evidence shows Ripple exercising unilateral control.
Nevertheless, Schwartz has noted that Ripple’s large XRP (XRP-USD) holdings, much of which is locked in escrow, do not give the company operational authority over the network.
Is Ripple The Same As XRP?
Although the names are often used interchangeably, Ripple and XRP are not the same. While Ripple is a private company that develops blockchain-based payment solutions for financial institutions, XRP is a digital asset that runs on the XRP Ledger and is used within the Ripple network. Currently, the XRP price is at $1.46, down roughly 29% over the past month. Investors who require up-to-date price performance and analysts’ insights on XRP can find more at TipRanks’ crypto center.
