US Excludes XRP from Blockchain GDP Release, Sparking Community Outrage

The US Commerce Department recently released GDP data via blockchain, excluding XRP from the list. This decision has sparked controversy within the XRP community, with advocates questioning the government's exclusion of their favorite network. Tweets from the XRP community highlighted the absence of XRP from the distribution, with some expressing disappointment and frustration. The government's move has been seen as a positive step towards transparency and accessibility, but the exclusion of XRP has raised eyebrows among its supporters.

The US Commerce Department has recently made a significant move by publishing its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data directly on public blockchains, marking a new era of transparency and data security. This initiative, which began on Aug. 28, includes nine blockchain networks, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, TRON, Stellar, Avalanche, and Optimism [1].

The pilot program, which launched with the publication of a cryptographic hash of its July 2025 GDP data, showcases the department's commitment to making federal data immutable and universally accessible [1]. The GDP data, which showed annualized growth of 3.3%, is now available on-chain, alongside other key economic indicators like the PCE Price Index and real final sales to private domestic purchasers [1].

Notably, major US exchanges like Coinbase, Gemini, and Kraken assisted in making the datasets available [1]. The department also plans to expand the program to additional chains, oracles, and market participants as it matures [1].

However, the decision to exclude XRP Ledger (XRPL) from the initial rollout has sparked controversy within the XRP community. An XRPL validator, Vet, demonstrated that the network can easily manage the same task, raising questions about why the government did not include XRPL [2]. Vet successfully published the GDP data on XRPL using native features, without the need for smart contracts, and at a low cost [2].

The exclusion of XRPL has been attributed to the lack of support from oracle providers like Chainlink and Pyth, which currently do not distribute data to the XRPL [2]. The government's move has been seen as a positive step towards transparency, but the exclusion of XRPL has raised eyebrows among its supporters [2].

The integration of US government data into the DeFi ecosystem is expected to unlock innovative use cases, such as automated trading strategies and real-time prediction markets [1]. The initiative marks the first time a federal government agency has published economic data on-chain, and it is likely to have significant implications for the crypto industry and beyond.

References:
[1] https://cryptoslate.com/america-makes-gdp-data-immutable-by-publishing-it-on-bitcoin-ethereum-and-solana/
[2] https://thecryptobasic.com/2025/08/29/validator-publishes-u-s-gdp-data-on-xrp-ledger-explains-why-the-government-did-not-pick-xrp/