Is XRP Malfunctioning? CTO Indicates ‘Drift’ During Block Production Halts

XRP Ledger experienced a halt in block production, with Ripple’s CTO attributing the issue to a phenomenon termed ‘drift’.

The XRP Ledger, recognized as one of the oldest and most reliable networks in the crypto realm, halted transaction validations for over an hour. The system self-corrected, but concerns regarding its reliability were raised.

This was the second disruption in less than three months, sparking worries of more significant problems. David Schwartz, the CTO of Ripple, offered insights while uncertainties surrounding the ledger’s future persisted.

“We don’t know the details yet, but it’s likely that servers refused to send validations precisely because they knew something was wrong,” Schwartz stated on X.

XRP

What Caused the XRP Outage?

The XRPL froze at a specific ledger height, leaving validators inactive while the consensus mechanism continued to run. Schwartz speculated that this occurred to prevent the spread of erroneous data.

He humorously broke the tension by saying, “Hello, IT, have you tried turning it on and off again?” before admitting that the network was operational again.

The New ‘Preventive’ XRP Clawback Amendment

Recently, a new clawback amendment has been proposed for XRP, allowing Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin to trade on the XRPL’s decentralized exchange. This feature allows issuers to retrieve assets under circumstances such as fraud, enhancing liquidity in DeFi.

Future Outlook for XRPL

XRP does not purport to be as decentralized as Bitcoin. The focus on decentralization followed Ethereum’s favorable regulatory stance, attributing further scrutiny to XRP, especially after these disturbances. Rather than emerging stronger, these glitches could undermine trust among XRP supporters.