Blockchain payments firm Ripple is actively considering bringing staking capabilities to the decade-old XRP Ledger (XRPL), a fundamental shift that would propel the network deeper into the competitive and rapidly expanding world of decentralized finance (DeFi).
The exploration, driven by recent discussions from RippleX engineering head J. Ayo Akinyele, aims to boost the XRPL’s security, encourage long-term participation, and expand the utility of the XRP token.
Staking, which rewards participants for helping maintain network consensus, is viewed by Ripple as a way to strengthen network security. However, implementing it would require significant engineering effort and structural changes.
The XRPL currently maintains a deflationary supply by burning transaction fees. Ripple would need to rework these core systems to redistribute those fees as staking rewards, fundamentally altering the ledger’s original design, which was centered on efficient cross-border payments.
Ripple CTO David Schwartz outlined two theoretical paths for introducing staking, both of which he cautioned are distant and require immense effort:
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Dual-Layer Consensus: This model would introduce an incentivized “inner” layer of about 16 validators chosen based on stake, which would advance the ledger using staking and “slashing” mechanisms. A current “outer” layer would continue to monitor governance.
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Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP): The second approach would preserve the XRPL’s existing consensus mechanism while using transaction fees to fund ZKP verification. This would create a trust-minimized way to validate participation without revealing data.
Despite growing market interest in XRP’s utility, Schwartz warned that staking is “unlikely to arrive on XRPL anytime soon” due to the required engineering effort, risk, and structural change.
