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HomeCrypto NewsMarketHere's Why More XRP Can't Be Created Beyond the 100B Supply

Here’s Why More XRP Can’t Be Created Beyond the 100B Supply

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An XRPL validator explains why it is impossible to create more XRP tokens beyond the initial supply of 100 billion tokens.

Amid recent discussions, several critics now claim Ripple has the power to create more XRP beyond the original 100 billion. However, a well-known XRP Ledger (XRPL) validator, Vet, has thoroughly explained why this is not possible

His statements countered recent claims from Pierre Rochard, a Bitcoin maximalist and Vice President of Research at Riot, amid widespread attack on XRP.

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Vet Explains Why More XRP Cannot Be Created  

In an X post, Vet, a decentralized unique node list (dUNL) validator for the XRPL, recently clarified that the XRP supply is permanently fixed at 100 billion. 

He pointed out that the entire supply of 100 billion XRP was created in 2012 when the XRPL launched. The genesis account, which initially held all XRP, is hardcoded into the ledger, and its cryptographic keys are publicly available. Notably, this ensures transparency, as anyone can verify the original supply.  

Vet emphasized that the XRPL design prevents the creation of new XRP at all times. Further, the ledger allows anyone running a node to check the total supply at any given block using the network’s built-in ledger command. 

This means that the system monitors every transaction, and if a bug were to ever attempt to generate new XRP, the system would block it immediately.  

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Vet pointed to an important safeguard within the XRPL called the “invariant checker,” a security feature coded into the system. For context, this function continuously checks all transactions to ensure no new XRP is being created. 

Speaking further, the outspoken XRPL validator stressed that, unlike Bitcoin, which has experienced accidental inflation due to bugs in the past, the XRPL has never had such an issue. Vet was making reference to the 184 billion Bitcoin bug which led to the creation of 184 billion BTC tokens in August 2010.

Additionally, Vet reminded the community that XRP is actually deflationary. For context, every transaction burns a small portion of XRP as a fee, reducing the total circulating supply over time. Because of this, the number of XRP in existence is only decreasing—not increasing. 

Rochard’s Claims and Ripple CTO’s Response 

The validator’s commentary came on the back of claims from Pierre Rochard argued last week that Ripple could still issue trillions of additional XRP. 

On Jan. 26, he alleged that Ripple could fork the XRPL software and remove existing supply restrictions or even alter escrow locks. He further argued that Ripple had misled the public about XRPL’s decentralization.  

In addition, Rochard suggested that there are no “alternative publishers” of XRPL’s rules, implying that Ripple and its affiliates control the system. He claimed that XRP’s scarcity is an illusion and compared it to fiat currency, which governments can print at will.  

Ripple CTO David Schwartz addressed Rochard’s claims. Schwartz argued that any blockchain, including Bitcoin, could undergo a fork. However, simply forking a blockchain does not force anyone to adopt the new version or change the functionality of the original version.

He explained that Rochard’s argument could also apply to Bitcoin. Anyone can fork Bitcoin’s code and remove the 21 million BTC supply limit, but that does not mean the original Bitcoin network would accept the change.

DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.

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Sam Wisdom Raphael
Sam Wisdom Raphael
Sam Wisdom Raphael is a seasoned crypto news writer and journalist with 5 years of experience covering blockchain, DeFi, and crypto developments. Sam's active presence in the crypto community complements his deep understanding of the crypto space, allowing him to craft comprehensible price analysis reports and tackle technical blockchain concepts.

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