Thread by @589CTO

🧵 “$XRP is centralized!”

That’s the go-to line for people who don’t understand how the #XRPL works.

Let’s dismantle this myth once and for all:

Consensus, validators, escrow, distribution - Is $XRP actually decentralized?
👇👇👇

#XRP #XRPL #Crypto

1/ $XRP doesn't use mining.⚒️

No PoW. No PoS.

Instead, #XRPL uses a Consensus Protocol that finalizes transactions in 3-5 seconds.

🧠 Nodes vote on transactions.
🗳️ 80% agreement = consensus.
💥 No miner cartels. No validator bribes.

You don't need to burn oceans of electricity to run it.

2/ Can anyone run a validator? 🤔

Yes.

There are over 100 validators today.
Ripple runs less than 20% of them.

🧑‍💻 Others include:
– Universities
– Developers
– Financial institutions
– Independent community nodes

And guess what?
No one needs permission.

3/ But what about @Ripple’s control? 🤷

They can’t force anything on the network.

Each validator picks its own UNL (Unique Node List).
UNLs don’t have to include Ripple.

Unless 80% of the network agrees with Ripple…
They can’t push a single transaction through.

🤯 Let that sink in.

4/ Let’s talk about escrow. 📝

Yes, Ripple holds $XRP in escrow.

But they can’t just dump whenever they want.

– Max 1B XRP released/month
– Unused XRP is re-escrowed
– Fully automated
– 100% on-chain
– Auditable by anyone

👀 More transparent than most crypto treasuries.

5/ “They still own too much!”

Ripple's escrow holdings are locked and predictable.

Compare that to:
💰 ETH Foundation selling at tops
🏦 Bitcoin mining centralization in 4 pools
🎭 Shadow VC deals on other chains

Ripple’s escrow?
📬 Public.
🔐 Programmatic.
🧾 Monitored by the entire world.

6/ What about token distribution?

Sure - Ripple got a large allocation early on.

But today:
– $XRP is held by millions of wallets
– No wallet controls the network
– Founders sold off under agreements
– Ripple distributes #XRP via sales, partnerships, and dev funding

It's become MORE decentralized over time.

7/ Compare it to #Bitcoin. 🆚

BTC Maxis love to scream “$XRP = centralized.”
Meanwhile…

– 4 BTC mining pools = 50%+ hashpower
– 60% mined in one region (energy risk)
– $100k+ hardware barrier
– Mining cartel politics

But hey, totally “decentralized”… right? 🫠

8/ The truth: 💯

Decentralization ≠ “No company owns tokens.”

It means:
– No one can change rules alone
– No single point of failure
– No central actor controls the network

And $XRP?

✅ Passes that test.

Despite the noise, #XRPL is more decentralized than most cryptos.

9/ TL;DR

✅ Anyone can run a validator
✅ Ripple can't force changes
✅ Escrow is locked + public
✅ $XRP is widely held
✅ Network finality in 3–5 seconds
✅ No mining. No bribery. No bloat.

Don’t let lazy arguments fool you.

XRP is absolutely decentralized.

#XRP #XRPL #CryptoTruth