Is XRP Ledger Centralized? David Schwartz Challenges Justin Bons’ Claim

Justin Bons, founder and CIO of Cyber Capital, asserted that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is centralized, criticizing its Unique Node List (UNL) as effectively permissioned, which he argues grants Ripple absolute power. Bons categorized blockchains as either fully permissionless (PoW or PoS) or centralized (PoA), demanding that chains like XRP decentralize.

In response, Ripple's CTO Emeritus David Schwartz strongly defended the XRPL's architecture, stating that Ripple intentionally designed the system to lack control for regulatory reasons and self-preservation. Schwartz countered claims of censorship and double-spending, explaining that individual nodes enforce protocol rules, and dishonest validators are simply ignored by honest nodes. He noted that while validators could theoretically conspire to halt the network, this would not permit double-spending, and the remedy would be to select a new UNL. Schwartz emphasized that any attempt by Ripple to censor transactions or double-spend would permanently destroy trust in XRPL, confirming the system was architected to limit the power of any single entity.

(Source：BeInCrypto)