Bitrabo Editorial
Ripple recently announced plans to bring native smart contracts to the XRP Ledger (XRPL) mainnet, a move that has stirred mixed reactions within the XRPL developer community. Wietse Wind, the Director of XRPL Labs, expressed his reservations about this decision by penning an open letter to Ripple.
Surprise Over Ripple’s Pivot on XRPL Smart Contracts
In his letter shared on the X platform, Wind found Ripple’s sudden embrace of native smart contracts surprising. Just three months earlier, Ripple’s CTO David Schwartz had dismissed the idea of smart contracts on the XRPL, stating that it was a “fixed function ledger” and suggested exploring other networks for smart contracts. Wind criticized Ripple’s abrupt change in direction, questioning its impact on the ecosystem’s growth.
Wind expressed disappointment in the lack of direct communication from Ripple regarding this significant shift and highlighted the importance of transparent dialogue within the developer community. Despite having proposed the concept of native smart contracts on XRPL years ago, Wind felt that Ripple’s delayed acceptance came at the expense of innovators in the ecosystem.
As Ripple faces a pivotal decision between supporting existing Hooks technology or taking a separate path, Wind emphasized the critical juncture faced by the XRPL developer ecosystem.
Notably, Ripple’s CTO Schwartz responded to Wind’s concerns by clarifying the company’s perspective. Contrary to Wind’s claims of poor communication, Schwartz disclosed that the RippleX team had consulted him before the official announcement. While acknowledging the potential of Hooks, Schwartz explained the reasons for supporting it as an amendment rather than a primary solution on the mainnet.
Response and Clarity
Wind, in response to Schwartz, appreciated the shift in approach and expressed eagerness for the future developments on the mainnet, whether with or without Hooks. However, his primary concern remained the lack of communication from Ripple, underscoring the need for transparency in such pivotal decisions.