Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has addressed renewed questions on social media about whether XRP transactions can be blocked or centrally controlled, stating plainly in his X reply that the XRP Ledger does not allow valid transactions to be stopped by any single party, including Ripple.

The only scenario in which a transaction would fail, he says, is if users themselves change its validity conditions, effectively making it invalid under network consensus.

There is no means to prevent valid transactions unless users agree to change validity rules to make them invalid. Anyone who wants to escrow tokens can lock them in escrow. Once an escrow expires, anyone can unlock it.

HOT Stories Crypto Market Review: Will XRP Hold Support Line? Bitcoin Hides Severe Price Divergence, Ethereum (ETH) Bounces in Attempt to Recover $2,000 Warren Lambasts Key Crypto Bill Following SBF's Endorsement— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) February 26, 2026

In any other case, if someone from Ripple or any other entity would want to freeze a wallet or prevent transactions “by any means,” Schwartz explained that there is no mechanism to block a transaction that complies with XRPL rules. 

Why Schwartz says "anyone" can unlock XRP escrow

Schwartz also clarified escrow mechanics by saying that any participant can place XRP into escrow, and once the escrow period expires, the funds can be unlocked according to predefined conditions. The process is enforced by protocol logic, not by discretionary approval from Ripple or any central authority, says the Ripple CTO Emeritus.

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Wed, 02/25/2026 - 05:36 Ripple's CTO Emeritus Shuts Down 'Nonsensical' Centralization Accusations ByAlex Dovbnya

The clarification comes amid centralization claims, again. This time it was Cyber Capital founder Justin Bons who argued that Ripple’s Unique Node List could enable institutional control over the chain. Schwartz dismissed that assertion as “objectively nonsensical,” comparing it to claiming a majority Bitcoin miner could arbitrarily create a billion new coins.

According to David Schwartz, validators cannot force honest nodes to accept double-spends or censorship. While a coordinated majority could theoretically halt consensus from the perspective of honest participants, they cannot rewrite balances or fabricate XRP.

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