Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions most commonly asked about XRP, the XRP Ledger, and Ripple.
Is XRP the same thing as Ripple?
No. XRP is a digital asset; Ripple is a private company that uses it in some of its products but does not own or control it. See XRP vs. XRPL vs. Ripple.
Does Ripple control the XRP Ledger?
No. The XRP Ledger is maintained by an open, independent network of validator operators. Ripple is an active and influential participant, but it cannot unilaterally control consensus or change protocol rules on its own. See What Is the XRP Ledger? and The Centralization Debate.
Can more XRP be created?
No. All 100 billion XRP were created at the ledger’s 2012 genesis, and the protocol has no mechanism to issue more. The total supply can only decrease, gradually, through transaction fee burning. See Total Supply and Issuance.
Is XRP mined?
No. The XRP Ledger uses a consensus voting process among validators, not proof-of-work mining. See XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol.
Did the SEC rule that XRP is not a security?
Not exactly, and not in a blanket sense. The court ruled that specific categories of XRP sales (programmatic exchange sales) were not securities transactions, while other categories (direct institutional sales) were. See The Torres Ruling Explained.
Why was XRP delisted from some U.S. exchanges, and is it available again?
Several major U.S. exchanges suspended XRP trading after the SEC filed suit against Ripple in December 2020, citing legal uncertainty. Most relisted it following the July 2023 summary judgment ruling. See Exchanges Supporting XRP.
How much XRP does Ripple own?
A large amount, though not the full remaining supply — most of Ripple’s holdings sit in an on-ledger escrow program that releases XRP on a transparent, rate-limited monthly schedule. See Ripple’s XRP Holdings.
Does RippleNet require using XRP?
No. RippleNet’s core messaging and settlement infrastructure can be used with traditional pre-funded accounts; XRP-based settlement (On-Demand Liquidity) is an optional feature within it. See RippleNet.
What's the difference between XRP and Stellar's XLM?
They share deep technical roots — Stellar was founded by an XRP Ledger co-creator after he left Ripple — but differ in governance and historical target market. See XRP vs. Stellar.
Can I run smart contracts on the XRP Ledger?
Not on XRPL mainnet directly — it has a fixed, native feature set instead. More flexible, smart-contract-style programmability is available on bridged sidechains. See Hooks, Sidechains, and Smart-Contract-Style Programmability.
Why does my wallet show a balance I can't fully send?
The XRP Ledger requires every account to maintain a minimum reserve balance, plus additional reserved XRP for each object it owns. See Reserves.
Is this wiki affiliated with Ripple?
No. This wiki is an independent, informational reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Ripple Labs Inc. or the XRP Ledger Foundation.