XRP News Today: Ripple CTO Challenges Caitlin Long to Fact-Based XRP Ledger Debate

Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has called for a factual dialogue with Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long after she criticized the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD. Long, in a recent podcast appearance, argued that the XRP Ledger lacks the decentralization required to gain institutional trust and alleged that banks have largely distanced themselves from the network [1]. She also claimed that Ripple’s initial funding resembled an initial coin offering (ICO), a model she believes eroded confidence in the platform.

Long further contended that the XRP Ledger has not demonstrated meaningful evolution since its launch and that Ripple’s pursuit of a National Bank Charter and access to a Federal Reserve master account indicates an internal acknowledgment that XRPL cannot replace SWIFT [1]. In her view, any U.S. Treasury initiative to tokenize T-Bills would favor Ethereum due to its mature, permissionless infrastructure.

In response, Schwartz invited Long to engage in a fact-based discussion on Ripple’s technologies, including the XRP Ledger and RLUSD. “I’m available to discuss the facts about Ripple, RLUSD, the XRP Ledger, and XRP,” he stated, signaling a readiness to address the technical and structural aspects of the platform [1]. His statement was supported by XRP community contributors who have already begun to challenge Long’s claims.

A prominent community figure known as Vet issued a detailed rebuttal to Long’s arguments, emphasizing that Ripple did not conduct an ICO and instead pre-minted the full 100 billion XRP supply at launch, distinguishing it from Ethereum, which raised funds through a Bitcoin-based token sale [1]. Vet also highlighted that the XRP Ledger operates with a decentralized validator model, with some individuals running as many as 1,000 nodes. He noted that technical upgrades and amendments have enhanced the ledger’s capabilities over time.

Another key community voice, Mickle, reinforced Vet’s points by noting that the XRP Ledger existed before XRP was publicly sold and that Ethereum pioneered the first-ever ICO [1]. These counterarguments highlight the ongoing debate around decentralization, institutional trust, and the development of blockchain infrastructure.

While many in the XRP community have contested Long’s assertions, her criticisms align with broader industry sentiments. Similar views have been expressed by other notable figures, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The debate echoes earlier claims made by El Salvador’s Bitcoin advisor, who questioned the practicality of XRP for institutional adoption [1].

Source: [1] Ripple CTO to Critic Caitlin Long: "Let's Discuss the Facts" (https://coinedition.com/ripple-cto-david-schwartz-caitlin-long-xrp-ledger-centralization-debate/)