Ripple's Decentralized Design Protects XRPL from Central Control

The XRP Ledger's design has been structured to prevent ownership or direct control by Ripple, its creator. According to a senior figure associated with the project, this decision was deliberate and not due to technical limitations.

Ripple aimed to create a system where no party would have unilateral power over the network, including the ability to censor transactions or reverse payments. The consensus model was built to distribute validation across independent participants, requiring broad agreement for changes. This structure reduces the risk of centralized intervention and maintains operational independence.

The design philosophy also focused on reducing required trust in Ripple. The speaker emphasized that users should not need to rely on Ripple to use the XRP Ledger, citing the importance of optional rather than mandatory trust. This approach aligns with broader blockchain principles.