Ripple CTO Explains Cause of XRP Ledger’s Recent Outage and Network Recovery

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) experienced a significant technical disruption recently, leading to a temporary halt in block production for about an hour. This unexpected outage raised concerns within the XRP community and opened the door for critics to question the reliability of the network.

Unraveling the Cause of the Outage

Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, addressed the issue, noting that while the network is recovering, the exact cause remains unclear. Schwartz suggested that improperly published validators may have led to a desynchronization of the network. To restore functionality, validators had to be re-established from a stable reference point. Once enough nodes reached consensus, the network resumed normal operations. Schwartz did acknowledge, however, that this initial analysis might not be entirely accurate. He even speculated that the network could have self-corrected, as only a handful of Unique Node List (UNL) operators made changes.

Despite the disruption, Schwartz reassured the community that no validated ledger data was lost, emphasizing that the servers likely withheld validation due to detected anomalies.

Bitcoin Advocates React to XRPL Downtime

The outage did not go unnoticed, with Bitcoin supporters seizing the opportunity to criticize XRP’s reliability. One detractor even sarcastically noted that the downtime had no real impact since “no banks use it.” In response, Schwartz pointed out that Bitcoin has also faced network-wide failures, such as an eight-hour outage in 2010 and a six-hour disruption in 2013. He further highlighted that Bitcoin often experiences transaction confirmation delays, emphasizing that no blockchain is completely immune to disruptions.

Market Impact and Rivalry Tensions

The disruption triggered a 6% drop in XRP’s price, significantly underperforming the broader cryptocurrency market. This occurred amidst growing tensions between Bitcoin and XRP communities, especially in the ongoing debate over which cryptocurrency should dominate the U.S. crypto reserve.

Also Read: Ripple Restores XRP Ledger After Hourlong Halt—Investigation Underway

As investigations into the cause of the outage continue, the XRP community eagerly awaits a detailed analysis to understand what went wrong and how to prevent future disruptions.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of Chain Affairs. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. Chain Affairs is not responsible for any financial losses.

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