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David Schwartz, the Chief Technology Officer of Ripple, addressed misconceptions and clarified the decentralized nature of XRP.

 

User John Puruntong (@username_1) referenced an analogy in a tweet, posing the question: “If XRP is decentralized, why is Garlinghouse its face and Ripple its issuer? I don’t see the same arrangement with BTC.” His remark suggested that Ripple’s assertions of being a decentralized asset might be undermined by its close ties to XRP.

David Schwartz provided a direct explanation for why XRP lacks a central issuer and why all its tokens were distributed concurrently with the launch of the XRP Ledger.

The XRP Ledger operates as a distinct network even though Ripple is the company’s leader. Schwartz asserts that the original distribution model allowed individuals or groups to claim those tokens independently, and that Ripple did not distribute XRP.’ People misinterpreted and mislabeled XRP as a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) asset,” Schwartz added.

Schwartz urged blockchain users to adopt a unique approach to participant agreement instead of focusing on strict definitions of decentralization, setting the XRPL apart from the competition.

He maintained that rather than arguing over ideological terminology, users should assess networks depending on their objectives and expectations.

He contends that the usefulness of a blockchain’s architecture is more important than labels, which frequently sow discord. Additionally, he pointed out that decentralization needs to be viewed in light of its effects on security, trust, and performance.

The CTO clarified that the sXRP Ledger infrastructure focused on stability and efficiency, aspects not present in fully decentralized models.