Crypto analyst Justin Bons published a sharp critique arguing that Ripple’s network architecture is “centralized in every single way you can imagine.” His comments sparked a wave of discussion online, which led to the long-running divide between XRP supporters and researchers who question the project’s design, governance, and technical foundation.
Bons didn’t hold back. He stated that XRP operates with low validator diversity, permissioned control, no meaningful stakeholder governance, and “zero economic security.” According to him, the project fails both the standards of decentralized cryptocurrency networks and the expectations of modern financial infrastructure. His argument is that XRP’s structure places too much control in the hands of Ripple and a small group of validators, making decentralization claims misleading.
The criticism escalated when Bons added that many retail investors supporting XRP “have limited knowledge of crypto” and are being exploited by a narrative that doesn’t match XRP’s technical reality. He even referred to XRP as the “Uber driver coin,” implying that its appeal comes from surface-level marketing rather than robust fundamentals.
XRP is extremely centralized:Permissioned, low validator count, no stakeholder governance & zero economic security!It is centralized in every single way you can imagineIt is criminal that they claim to be more decentralized than BTC & ETH; XRP is an investment fraud/scam!
— Justin Bons (@Justin_Bons) December 7, 2025
The debate intensified when a user asked whether XRP should be judged by crypto standards or traditional finance standards. Bons responded that XRP fails on both counts. If measured against Bitcoin or Ethereum, he argues XRP lacks censorship resistance, validator independence, and economic security. And when compared to legacy systems like SWIFT, he believes XRP still doesn’t offer a compelling alternative. “XRP makes no sense from both perspectives,” he wrote, adding that “it is not a viable alternative to SWIFT either.”
Read also: XRP Price Faces Two Possible Outcomes, and One of Them the Community Definitely Won’t Like
A Broader Look at This XRP Criticism
The decentralization debate around XRP is not new. Ripple has faced years of scrutiny over validator composition, company holdings, and its ability to influence network behavior. Critics like Bons argue that these issues fundamentally undermine the promise of an open, trust-minimized network. Supporters, on the other hand, point to XRP’s speed, liquidity strength, and adoption in cross-border settlement testing.
This is where the divide becomes clear: traditional crypto researchers tend to prioritize decentralization, while XRP’s community is often more focused on utility, liquidity, and institutional use cases. Bons’ stance reflects the former group; one that views decentralization as non-negotiable.
Bons raises valid points about validator distribution and governance structure. By crypto-native standards, XRP does fall closer to the “centralized” end of the spectrum, especially when compared to Bitcoin or Ethereum. However, XRP also operates in a niche focused on streamlined settlement, regulatory compliance, and enterprise adoption. In that world, decentralization looks different, sometimes by necessity.
Calling XRP a “scam” is an overreach, but questioning its decentralization model is not. XRP has strengths, but decentralization has never been its strongest one, and this debate highlights how different stakeholders prioritize different values.
For now, the conversation shows no signs of slowing down. As XRP continues to position itself as a cross-border settlement network, the tension between decentralization ideals and enterprise-driven structure will remain one of the defining debates around Ripple’s ecosystem.
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The post New Criticism Hits XRP: Analysts Call Ripple’s Network Is “Centralized in Every Way” appeared first on CaptainAltcoin.
