Cardano Founder Praises XRP Ledger Consensus Design

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has praised the XRP Ledger after reviewing its consensus model during a live X Spaces discussion with David Schwartz

ContentsHoskinson Revisits XRPL After Years AwayUNL Design Draws Fresh AttentionSchwartz Role Adds ContextHis comments focused on XRPL’s speed, payment-focused structure, and use of trusted validator lists to reach agreement without mining or staking

The remarks came during a busy period for the XRP ecosystem, as Schwartz took a new honorary board role at the XRP Ledger Foundation.

Hoskinson Revisits XRPL After Years Away

Hoskinson said he had not closely reviewed the XRP Ledger design since around 2013 or 2014, but a new Cardano-related project brought him back to the network

His team is working on Midnight, a privacy-focused blockchain project tied to Cardano, and its glacier drop token distribution requires support for several networks, including XRPL.

Schwartz is advising the Cardano team on XRPL integration details. That work led Hoskinson to study the ledger’s consensus paper and reassess how the system handles Byzantine agreement. He described the design as a well-reasoned system and pointed to its practical focus on fast settlement.

The XRP Ledger launched in 2012 and uses a Federated Byzantine Agreement model. Unlike proof-of-work networks, it does not ask miners to solve complex puzzles. Unlike proof-of-stake networks, it does not rely on token locking to select validators.

UNL Design Draws Fresh Attention

Hoskinson placed specific attention on the Unique Node List, known as the UNL. Each XRPL participant can choose trusted validators, while recommended lists often include vetted validators from different regions and organizations.

He also noted the negative UNL, which helps the network continue operating when trusted validators go offline or stop responding

That feature can remove unreliable validators from the agreement process, so the ledger can maintain liveness instead of waiting indefinitely for missing participants.

The UNL structure has remained one of XRPL’s most debated design choices. Supporters argue that it gives the network fast confirmation and protection against validator spam

Critics argue that systems based on trusted lists carry decentralization trade-offs compared with permissionless mining or open validator entry.

Schwartz Role Adds Context

The timing of Hoskinson’s remarks gave the discussion added importance. The XRP Ledger Foundation announced new leadership on May 8, with Brett Mollin named executive director, Denis Angell named chief technology officer, Rene Huijsen named director of operations, and Hussein Zangana named director of community.

The board then added Schwartz as an honorary member because of his long history with XRPL’s original design

His role connects with Cardano’s Midnight work, where technical coordination with XRPL is needed.

Hoskinson’s comments do not end the debate over XRPL decentralization. However, they show renewed respect for an early blockchain design built around speed, efficiency, and global payments.