"XRP has a CEO so must be centralized"
No, XRP Ledger is a decentralized blockchain governed by independent validators, not Ripple’s CEO, who leads a company using the ledger, not controlling it.
Argument
Critics argue that because XRP is tied to Ripple—a private company with a CEO, Brad Garlinghouse—it’s inherently centralized, assuming a corporate figurehead means top-down control over the token and its network.
Response
The "XRP’s got a CEO, so it’s centralized" jab is a sloppy mash-up that misses the split. XRP Ledger’s a blockchain—open-source, nearly 1,000 nodes strong, humming since 2012—run by a decentralized crew of validators, not a corner office. Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse? He’s the company guy, not the ledger’s lord. Ripple uses XRP, pushes it, sure—but XRPL’s gears turn on validator consensus—80% supermajority for changes—not Garlinghouse’s say-so. Mix up the two, and you’re lost—think Blockstream’s CEO owning Bitcoin. Nope.
Nearly 1,000 nodes—universities, exchanges, indies—sequence transactions, not Ripple’s brass. The UNL? A suggestion—XRPL Foundation and others toss out lists too; nodes pick their own overlap, no CEO whip cracking. Ripple’s got a fat XRP stash—locked in escrow, tracked on-chain—but that’s not a remote for the network; it’s a stake they can’t force through validators. X posts from David Schwartz nail it: no one’s got "legal right or ability" to rule XRPL—Garlinghouse included. "Centralized"? Only if you think a cheerleader runs the game—Ripple’s a player, not the ref.
Critics see a suit and cry foul—XRPL’s open guts say otherwise. CEO’s a title, not a crown—ledger’s free, validators hold the key.