Ripple CTO Emeritus Clarifies Only Way ‘Valid’ XRP Transaction Can Be Blocked

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has addressed renewed questions on social media about whether XRP transactions can be blocked or centrally controlled, stating plainly in his X reply that the XRP Ledger does not allow valid transactions to be stopped by any single party, including Ripple.

The only scenario in which a transaction would fail, he says, is if users themselves change its validity conditions, effectively making it invalid under network consensus.

In any other case, if someone from Ripple or any other entity would want to freeze a wallet or prevent transactions “by any means,” Schwartz explained that there is no mechanism to block a transaction that complies with XRPL rules. 

Why Schwartz says “anyone” can unlock XRP escrow

Schwartz also clarified escrow mechanics by saying that any participant can place XRP into escrow, and once the escrow period expires, the funds can be unlocked according to predefined conditions. The process is enforced by protocol logic, not by discretionary approval from Ripple or any central authority, says the Ripple CTO Emeritus.

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The clarification comes amid centralization claims, again. This time it was Cyber Capital founder Justin Bons who argued that Ripple’s Unique Node List could enable institutional control over the chain. Schwartz dismissed that assertion as “objectively nonsensical,” comparing it to claiming a majority Bitcoin miner could arbitrarily create a billion new coins.

According to David Schwartz, validators cannot force honest nodes to accept double-spends or censorship. While a coordinated majority could theoretically halt consensus from the perspective of honest participants, they cannot rewrite balances or fabricate XRP.