"XRPL code can be changed arbitrarily and your tokens could lose value"

No, the ledger’s amendments require broad consensus among independently run validators, ensuring no unilateral code changes can inflate supply or revoke balances.

Argument

Some propose that the rules governing XRP can shift abruptly, allowing increases in supply or confiscation of tokens.

Response

The "XRPL code can flip overnight and trash your tokens" scare is a ghost story that doesn’t haunt the facts. Changing the ledger’s rules isn’t a free-for-all—it’s a slog through an amendment gauntlet needing 80% of validators to nod yes for two solid weeks. Fall short of that supermajority? It’s dead in the water—no sneaky supply bumps or token grabs. Nearly 1,000 nodes aren’t puppets; they’re a sprawling crew of independent validators, and they’ve got to agree or it’s a no-go. One rogue coder can’t rewrite the game.

Here’s the kicker: node operators hold the reins—they pick which software version to run. If some sketchy amendment—like an XRP minting spree or a balance heist—rears its head, honest validators can just say "nah" and stick to the old code. It’s not Ripple’s call or any lone wolf’s whim; it’s a network-wide arm-wrestle. With that kind of consensus lock, your tokens aren’t dangling on some dictator’s thread—nearly 1,000 watchdogs ensure no one’s spiking the supply or swiping your stash.

This isn’t a centralized clown show; it’s a fortress of collective say-so. The 100 billion XRP cap’s been set since day one—on-chain, tracked, untouchable. Amendments aren’t a backdoor; they’re a public brawl with a high bar. "Lose value" from sudden rule flips? Only if the whole validator swarm loses its spine—and good luck with that.

References

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