The XRP decentralization debate heated up again, as it does once in a while, after Ethereum supporters claimed the XRPL network is centralized because it runs on 134 permissioned validators
To support the argument, a screenshot from XRPL.org was included, and this one suggests that XRP’s validator structure is “proof of control.”
Of course, the claim got the XRP community riled up, with people pointing out that Ripple and XRP are different - and that validator count alone is not the same as centralization
But the main response came from David Schwartz, former CTO of Ripple and co-architect of the XRP Ledger. Still, instead of drafting a new reply, he just reposted his explanation from September 2023, calling the new claims invalid.
It is all about how validators on XRPL do not really have the power that a lot of people think they do. Every node on the network can check transactions, rules and the ledger state on its own. Validators do not approve or reject individual transactions the way miners or stakers do on other chains.
Coordination, not centralization
The only thing validators decide is which of two conflicting but valid transactions to include - basically, solving the double-spend problem. They cannot force changes or push through upgrades
Even new features on XRPL need broad support from nodes, not just validators.
Thus, just because validators are permissioned does not mean they control the network. If anything, XRPL’s design limits their influence. The bottom line is that it is not governance for XRP; it iscoordination, and no one gets to override the system’s rules.
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