The Blockchain Is Not Forever? Controversy Over Missing Ledgers On XRPL Draws Ripple’s CTO Attention

A long-standing issue concerning the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ripple has resurfaced, challenging the widely held belief that blockchain records are permanent and immutable. New attention is being drawn to the early days of the XRPL, where the first 32,569 ledgers were lost due to a technical mishap. As debates over transparency and trust in blockchain intensify, the controversy has reignited across the X social media, drawing direct attention from Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz.

Ripple CTO Responds To XRP Ledger Controversy

A fresh wave of scrutiny has emerged around the XRP Ledger after renewed concerns surfaced about the loss of its earliest transaction history. A report shared on X highlighted that the ledger is still missing potentially thousands of transactions. According to the report, due to a mishap in XRPL’s early development, ledgers #1 through #32,569 were lost—effectively erasing around the first week of activity. The earliest surviving ledger, #32,570, has since been treated as the network’s starting point or genesis ledger.

Interestingly, the long-standing controversy was brought into sharper focus after crypto user “RandomEyesER” posted an X comment linking the lost XRPL ledgers to broader concerns of transparency, questioning whether the absence of those blocks constitutes a form of fraud. This followed Schwartz’s firm remarks on the debates over the conviction of former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and the implications of the newly signed GENIUS Act. The Ripple CTO had stated that no good intentions could override the proven misconduct of SBF and his now-defunct company. 

RandomEyesER’s follow-up drew parallels between Schwartz’s stance and XRPL’s missing ledger history, implying a double standard in accountability. Ripple has long maintained that the loss of the early ledgers does not affect the network’s integrity or performance. 

According to Ripple, a reset of the ledger’s index back to zero was once considered but ultimately rejected to avoid disrupting network continuity. Schwartz also stated that there was nothing the company could do to restore the missing information. He also confirmed in an earlier post in May that the reason for the missing ledgers was due to a software bug. 

Although the missing segment of the XRP Ledger has been public for years, its resurgence has sparked open criticism from certain members of the crypto community. It also highlights deeper concerns about the reliability and immutability of blockchain technology as well as the standards by which these networks are held accountable. 

XRPL Missing Ledgers Spark Supply Concerns

A crypto community member, Wazz, has also spotlighted XRPL’s missing 32,569 ledgers, casting a shadow over the network’s supply transparency. The crypto member adds a provocative twist, calling the situation “moderately bullish” and claiming that if XRP’s supply is 99% controlled, presumably by early holders or its founders, it implies they are so wealthy that they do not need to dump tokens on the market. 

Instead, they can allegedly benefit by strategically clipping small profits during each cycle, turning XRP into what he dubs an “infinite money machine.”