XRP Ledger's Upgrade Sees Partial Adoption Among Validators

The XRP Ledger has introduced its new v3.2.0 server software, which aims to lower operational costs and enhance stability for institutional use. Although 89% of validators on the Unique Node List (UNL) have upgraded, translating into 31 out of 35 validators, the overall node adoption is slower, with only 43% of the approximately 833 active nodes running v3.2.0. The remaining 51% continue to operate on the older version 3.1.3, according to XRPSCAN data.

For a software upgrade or amendment to take effect on the XRP Ledger, it requires the support of over 80% of the trusted validators for two consecutive weeks. The v3.2.0 software has cleared this threshold, primarily due to participation from validators, the critical entities that maintain the network's integrity. However, its counterpart, an on-ledger amendment called fixCleanup3_2_0—designed to improve security and introduce features such as lending protocols and multi-purpose tokens—is experiencing significantly lower polling support.

The fixCleanup3_2_0 amendment is undergoing a formal voting process and combines several security enhancements for various features. Unlike a typical software upgrade, the approval process involves a dedicated on-ledger vote, where validators must also participate. Ripple, the company behind XRP, has already expressed its support for this amendment.

Failures to update the software before the amendment activates could result in validators being put into an amendment-blocked state, effectively cutting them off from the network. Hence, while validators are adopting the new software version, vigilance is required from them to ensure they also participate in the voting for crucial amendments.