Top XRP Ledger Dev Calls Out Ripple’s Leadership On Smart Contract Pivot

As a seasoned researcher who has witnessed the evolution of the cryptocurrency landscape for years, I find myself deeply moved by Wietse Wind’s open letter to the XRP community and Ripple. With a background that includes pioneering projects like XRP Labs, Xaman wallet (Xumm), and Hooks, Wind is a true visionary in the XRP Ledger of ofleader.


Wietse Wind, founder of XRP Labs—one of the leading independent XRP Ledger development companies—has published an open letter to the community and Ripple. Wind is known for the Xaman wallet (formerly Xumm) and Hooks. The latter represents a smart contract functionality developed by Wind for the XRP Ledger, functioning as layer one custom code that influences the behavior and flow of transactions.

The recent news from Ripple about their plans to create native smart contract capabilities for the XRP Ledger, as previously reported by Bitcoinist, has sparked strong reactions from Wietse Wind. In fact, since last July, Wind has been working on Hooks, but Ripple has repeatedly stated they would not implement native smart contracts. It’s no surprise that this decision has led to a great deal of dismay among those involved.

XRP Ledger Ecosystem ‘Hangs In The Balance’

Wind’s letter articulates a mixture of disappointment and frustration, exacerbated by what he perceives as a lack of transparency and collaboration from Ripple. He describes the extensive journey and substantial efforts undertaken by his team to bring Hooks from a conceptual stage to a fully operational feature, despite facing significant challenges.

He states, “Four years ago, XRPL Labs introduced the vision for Hooks – a groundbreaking L1 smart contract solution for the Ledger mainnet. Despite initial skepticism and limited support, we persevered, transforming this concept into a fully-fledged, battle-tested implementation.”

Wind expresses his disillusionment with Ripple’s recent pivot, pointing out the inconsistency in Ripple’s messaging and strategic alignment. He highlights a specific recent instance that underlines this shift, “The sudden change in opinion and narrative is surprising. Three months ago David Schwartz, the CTO of Ripple, shared a clear message at XRP Ledger Apex. The XRP Ledger mainnet was a ‘fixed function ledger’ and smart contracts belonged on other networks, such as the EVM Sidechain and Xahau.”

Reflecting more deeply considers the consequences of Ripple’s choice, Wind contemplates the potential outcome of Ripple’s decision, “Yetimeself, we, the developers and creators of Hooks.

In his letter, it’9s clearly evident discontentment’s strong feelings of dissatisfaction with how he learned about the way he discovered the smart contract pivot by Ripple has turned smart contract pivot by Ripalooza is clear in its frustration also shines through in the manner of rippcapturely by Riparaphras alternative smart contract transfers.past

In his concluding remarks, Wind makes a heartfelt plea for a reevaluation of Ripple’s strategic choices, emphasizing the need for a plan that acknowledges and leverages the contributions of developers like himself who have been dedicated to the ledger’s innovation. He asserts, “We now stand at a critical juncture. Ripple faces a clear choice: embrace and support the existing, proven Hooks technology on the mainnet, or pursue a separate path that risks alienating dedicated developers and fracturing the ecosystem.”

The final verdict on smart contracts within the XRP Ledger could swing either way, as Ripple’s forthcoming actions will clearly demonstrate whether they genuinely appreciate ecosystem contributions or favor a more authoritative, company-dominated development strategy.

At press time, XRP traded at $0.5692.

Top XRP Ledger Dev Calls Out Ripple’s Leadership On Smart Contract Pivot

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2024-09-04 05:13