David Schwartz Rejects XRP Ledger Ghost Chain Claims as Network Usage Expands

In Brief:

• Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz rejected ghost chain claims, arguing XRPL’s affordable fees support diverse, useful, and low-value network activities.
• Tokenized assets expand XRPL’s utility, with distributed real-world holdings valued at $458.37 million and represented assets reaching $4.06 billion collectively.
• AI agents completed over 4.8 million XRPL transactions, while Schwartz’s hub remained stable despite two brief peer and latency disruptions.

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has rejected claims that automated activity makes the XRP Ledger a ghost chain with limited utility. According to X user “scams are bad,” bots and automated accounts generated much of the network’s transaction activity. The critic claimed genuine human payments represented less than 1% of transactions recorded during the previous eight years.

Schwartz described that assessment as strange and highlighted the network’s affordable transaction costs. As an original XRPL architect, he argued that low fees naturally attract users conducting both valuable and low-value activities.

Furthermore, Schwartz challenged the assumption that higher fees and fewer inexpensive transactions would improve the blockchain. His response redirected attention toward accessibility, utility, and the network’s ability to support different transaction types.

The critic later clarified that the post intended to highlight XRPL’s usage breakdown. That response appeared to acknowledge the network’s activity while maintaining concerns regarding its dependence on automated accounts.

Nevertheless, automated transactions do not necessarily indicate meaningless activity. Blockchain applications frequently rely on software accounts to execute payments, settle trades, and access digital services efficiently.

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Tokenized Assets and AI Payments Expand XRP Ledger Utility

XRP Ledger activity extends beyond direct payments into tokenized assets, stablecoins, decentralized liquidity, and institutional decentralized finance.

The network currently holds a distributed real-world asset market capitalization of approximately $458.37 million. This figure excludes represented assets and stablecoins that do not generate yields.

Meanwhile, represented real-world assets on XRPL have reached approximately $4.06 billion in combined value. These figures suggest payment transactions provide only one measurement of the network’s broader economic activity.

Agentic finance has also become a growing source of XRPL transactions. Total agentic transactions have surpassed 4.8 million as artificial intelligence agents purchase blockchain-based products and services.

AI agents use XRP or Ripple USD to obtain token analysis, crypto intelligence, market research, and prediction-market projections. Consequently, automated payments can represent legitimate economic activity without requiring individuals to approve every transaction manually.

Schwartz also provided an operational update regarding his independently managed XRPL hub. He reported reliable performance apart from two brief events involving lower peer connections and increased latency.

However, those incidents resulted from minor network disruptions rather than issues originating within XRPL. Overall, Schwartz maintained that affordable fees and varied applications strengthen the network’s usefulness despite criticism surrounding automated transaction activity.

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