🚫 Ripple Doesn’t Control XRP Ledger — CTO David Schwartz Clears the Air
📅 August 6, 2025
✍️ By André Beganski | 3 min read
🔎 In This Article:
XRP-USD +4.24% | BTC-USD +2.13%
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Despite years of speculation, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, has once again set the record straight: Ripple does not control the XRP Ledger.
In a recent interview with Decrypt, Schwartz addressed the persistent myth head-on, clarifying that there is no hidden backdoor or special access that allows Ripple to manipulate the XRP Ledger’s codebase or operation.
> “We’re a major contributor to the ecosystem, and it’s incredibly important to us,” Schwartz stated. “But we have zero interest—and more importantly, zero ability—to run or control the network.”
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🧠 The Misconception of Control
Although XRP continues to see increasing adoption by financial institutions globally, concerns around centralization have continued to follow the project.
The criticism largely stems from two key facts:
Ripple owns a large amount of XRP tokens, leading some to question its influence.
The number of active validators on the XRP Ledger is far lower than that of networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
As of this week:
✅ Bitcoin has over 23,000 active nodes worldwide (Bitnodes).
✅ XRP Ledger runs with just 186 validators, according to XRPScan.
🔍 Ripple itself operates only one validator.
However, Schwartz emphasized that anyone in the world can run a validator node on the XRP Ledger — and participation is entirely open.
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🛠️ True Decentralization?
While the debate around decentralization in crypto is far from over, Schwartz’s remarks reinforce that Ripple sees itself as a participant — not a gatekeeper.
> “We support the network’s growth and resilience, but we don’t control it. That’s by design.”
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🧩 The Bottom Line
With XRP’s increasing role in cross-border payments and real-world utility, understanding the true nature of the XRP Ledger is more important than ever.
Ripple may be a powerful player in the ecosystem — but the XRP Ledger remains a decentralized, public blockchain.$XRP