Introduced in 2012, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a decentralized, permissionless technology that is open-source. The XRP Ledger stands out due to its low transaction cost (only $0.0002 per transaction), its speed (settling transactions in just 3 to 5 seconds), its scalability (handling 1,500 transactions per second), and its environmentally friendly nature (carbon-neutral and energy-efficient). Additionally, the XRP Ledger integrates the first decentralized exchange (DEX) and has capabilities for custom tokenization built into its protocol. Since its inception in 2012, the XRP Ledger has been consistently reliable, having successfully closed 70 million ledgers.
Who Are the Founders of the XRP Ledger?
The XRP Ledger was created in 2012 by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto, with the native digital currency XRP designed as a quicker, more eco-friendly alternative to the Bitcoin blockchain. In September of the same year, together with Chris Larsen, they established the company now known as Ripple.
What Makes XRPL Unique?
The XRP Ledger offers a diverse range of applications and use cases related to payments, such as micropayments, decentralized finance (DeFi), and soon, NFTs. Launched in 2012, the XRPL provides enterprises and developers using Python, Java, and JavaScript with robust utility and flexibility. The XRP website provides developers with an array of tutorials to help them get started with various programming languages, building applications, managing accounts, and more.
Developers utilize the XRP Ledger, alongside its native token, XRP, to create solutions that address inefficiencies, including remittance and asset tokenization. At present, the five principal applications of the XRP Ledger are payments, tokenization, DeFi, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and stablecoins.
How Many XRP Coins Are There in Circulation?
The creators of the XRP Ledger donated 80 billion XRP to Ripple, enabling the company to develop use cases—such as its global payment network, RippleNet—around this digital asset.
How Is the XRP Ledger Network Secured?
Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, the XRPL employs a distinctive Federated Consensus mechanism for validating transactions. On the XRPL, transactions are verified through a consensus protocol where independent servers, known as validators, reach an agreement on the order and result of XRP transactions. Every server in the network processes transactions by following the same rules, allowing any transaction adhering to the protocol to be confirmed immediately. All transactions are open and transparent, and anyone can run a validator. Currently, there are over 150 validators on the ledger, managed by universities, exchanges, businesses, and individuals worldwide.
The Federated Consensus mechanism ensures that all verified transactions are processed without a single point of failure, as no single party makes independent decisions.
Where Can You Buy XRP?
XRP is available on numerous centralized finance (CeFi) exchanges worldwide, including Binance, Huobi, and Bitstamp.
To discover more about this project, check out our comprehensive exploration of XRP.
