Ripple CTO Defends XRP Amid Centralization Debate as MicroStrategy Buys $1.1B in Bitcoin

The debate over Ripple and XRP’s decentralization reignited after Pierre Rochard, VP of Research at Riot Platforms, claimed Ripple has excessive control over the XRPL network. Rochard argued that Ripple could manipulate XRP’s supply by forking the XRPL software and modifying escrow locks. Ripple CTO David Schwartz refuted these claims, emphasizing the network’s consensus mechanism, which prevents unilateral changes. Schwartz also dismissed legal concerns over Ripple’s ownership of the XRP trademark, stating they hold no weight in the U.S. legal framework.

Meanwhile, MicroStrategy made headlines with another massive Bitcoin purchase, acquiring $1.1 billion worth of BTC at an average price of $105,596. This latest acquisition brings the company’s total holdings to 471,107 BTC, now valued at nearly $47 billion. Despite this bullish move, MicroStrategy’s stock (MSTR) dropped nearly 6% in premarket trading. The broader crypto market also experienced a downturn, with Bitcoin falling 5% to $99,103, while Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) stocks plunged 13% and 7%, respectively, following the launch of a low-cost AI model by DeepSeek, a Chinese startup.

In another development, crypto exchange Bitget expanded its stablecoin offerings by listing five new USDC trading pairs, including Stellar (XLM) and Shiba Inu (SHIB). This move suggests an effort to challenge USDT’s dominance, as USDC continues to gain traction in the market. The USDC/USDT trading pair now ranks 11th on the exchange, with a daily volume of $32.43 million. SHIB’s listing benefits from its strong community backing, while XLM’s recent surge in interest is linked to XRP’s growing adoption.