Ripple’s XRP Ledger has successfully recovered from a network halt that left validations suspended for over an hour, causing significant disruption. The issue occurred on February 4, 2025, at block height 93927174 and lasted for 64 minutes before the blockchain was rebooted at 10:58 am UTC, according to XRPL’s explorer page.
Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, provided an initial explanation, revealing that while consensus appeared to be running, validations were not being published, which led to the network drifting apart. Validator operators had to manually intervene and select a “sane starting point” to restore consensus, allowing the blockchain to return to a coordinated ledger stream. However, Schwartz emphasized that these observations were preliminary and that Ripple was continuing to investigate the underlying cause of the disruption.
Despite the technical setback, Ripple reassured its users that customer funds remained safe throughout the incident. Daily network activity on the XRP Ledger is significant, with XRPSCAN data reporting between 30,000 to 60,000 unique senders executing around 2 million transactions daily. The halt affected approximately 88,000 transactions, which were delayed due to the disruption.
Very few UNL operators actually made any changes, as far as I can tell, so it's possible the network spontaneously recovered. I'm not sure yet.
— David "JoelKatz" Schwartz (@JoelKatz) February 4, 2025
The incident reignited discussions about XRP Ledger’s centralization. Daniel Keller, CTO of the XRPL node operator Eminence, highlighted that the network recovery involved only 35 nodes, fueling concerns about the platform’s centralized nature. This has been a longstanding criticism of XRP, especially in comparison to more decentralized blockchains like Ethereum, which boasts over 1 million active validators securing its network.
Despite the technical hiccup, XRP’s price showed resilience, rebounding 3.2% to $2.53 after hitting a low of $2.45 during the halt. XRP has also been one of the strongest performers in the market, surging 396% since the U.S. election in November 2024. Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, continues to push for XRP to be recognized as a U.S. reserve asset, a proposal being explored by Trump’s crypto czar, David Sacks.
Some thoughts on maximalism… let me say this as clearly as I can – the crypto industry has a real shot, here and now, to achieve the many goals we have in common, IF we work together instead of tearing each other down. This is not, and never will be, a zero-sum game.
— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 27, 2025
• I own…
As Ripple investigates the cause of the network halt, the incident highlights the ongoing debate over XRP’s decentralization and the broader implications for the blockchain space.
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.
Also Read: Ripple Locks 700M XRP in Escrow: What It Means for Price Stability & Market Trends