Ripple CTO Drops Truth Bomb: Why Public, Permissionless Blockchains Like XRPL Aren’t Going Anywhere

Forget Wall Street's private ledgers—David Schwartz just made the case for open networks in a world obsessed with control.

Here's why decentralized infrastructure still wins.

The Transparency Advantage

While banks build walled gardens with 'enterprise blockchains,' XRPL's public ledger keeps every transaction auditable—no backroom deals, no hidden inflation.

The Innovation Flywheel

Permissionless systems let developers build without begging for access. The result? Over 80% of stablecoin transactions now settle on public chains.

The CTO's Mic Drop

'If you're waiting for financial incumbents to innovate,' Schwartz quipped, 'you'll be older than Bitcoin's whitepaper.'

Meanwhile, XRPL's daily active addresses just hit a 2025 high—proving users still vote with their wallets against centralized alternatives.

Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, has addressed how XRPL is shaping the future of seamless, programmable finance in 2025. As the payment and stablecoin space is increasingly launching its own blockchain, he clarifies why the permissionless blockchain, like XRPL, with real-world utility, is essential for industry growth. 

Permissionless Blockchains to serve Critical Infrastructure 

Blockchains with permission validators can restrict reach and resilience. However, the permissionless blockchains like XRPL prioritize openness while offering flexibility, making it well-positioned for global financial connectivity. It is also ideally situated to serve as critical infrastructure for the world’s financial system.

In his recent post on X, Schwartz admitted that building a chain is difficult, but creating a thriving ecosystem with developer activity, liquidity, trust, and real-world utility is even harder. However, XRPL, a public, permissionless blockchain, became prominent. 

He wrote, “The XRPL has real traction and institutional adoption because it’s been battle-tested, updated, and improved upon for well over a decade.” 

Why Was the XRPL Built?

Schwartz clarifies that XRPL was built to make transactions seamless and feasible. Its success comes from its long-standing reliability, decentralization, and adaptability. 

Schwartz said, “You can pay directly in XRP for any issued asset, avoiding the friction and hidden costs of buying another token just to transact.”

 “XRP is counterparty-free, accessible by all, and used as a bridge asset with real utility for payments, settlement, and liquidity. (Every transaction on the XRPL uses/burns XRP),” He added. 

Now, the newer chains across the crypto industry are adopting features like XRPL. They are building features like deterministic finality and Proof of Authority-style consensus for predictable settlement. 

What’s Next? 

Ripple CTO reveals that XRPL is moving to the next phase of innovation. The XRPL’s future focus is to enhance programmability, enable compliance-focused capabilities, and boost institutional liquidity. It is poised to make the next phase of blockchain-powered financial infrastructure.