XRP Ledger validators are considering two amendments that would add single-asset vaults and fixed-term lending directly to the network’s core protocol.
Summary
- XLS-65 and XLS-66 remain below the 80% validator threshold required before XRP Ledger mainnet activation.
- Single Asset Vaults would pool one token, while XLS-66 would issue fixed-term uncollateralized institutional loans.
- Ripple joined Clearpool and Cicada as an investor, but does not guarantee the fund’s losses.
- RLUSD would serve as the credit asset, while XRP would pay transaction fees and reserves.
- Activation requires validator support above 80% for two consecutive weeks, leaving the launch date uncertain.
The amendments, XLS-65 and XLS-66, are open for validator voting but have not reached the support required for activation. An amendment must maintain support from more than 80% of trusted validators for two consecutive weeks before it can become active.
Ripple’s validator voted in favor of both amendments in August. However, Ripple cannot approve the changes independently because validators decide whether to support each amendment.
Current support remains well below the activation threshold, according to the XRP Ledger’s amendment records. The percentage can change as validators update their positions, making the threshold and subsequent two-week period more important than any single daily reading.
XRP Ledger lending separates credit from execution
XLS-65 would introduce Single Asset Vaults. These structures would pool one type of asset from multiple depositors and issue vault shares representing their proportional interest in the assets.
A vault could hold XRP, Ripple USD or another supported XRP Ledger asset. The vault manager could then allocate pooled liquidity to lending or other financial services under predetermined rules.
XLS-66 would use that pooled liquidity to fund fixed-term loans. The proposed XRP Ledger lending system relies on off-chain underwriting rather than automatic overcollateralization and liquidation.
Institutions would conduct identity checks, assess borrowers, negotiate loan terms and complete legal reviews outside the blockchain. The network would then record and execute agreed activities such as loan issuance, interest accrual, repayments and defaults.
This structure reduces reliance on application-level smart contracts. It does not eliminate credit, operational or counterparty risk. Depositors could still lose money when borrowers default or when underwriting proves inadequate.
Ripple, Clearpool and Cicada prepare an RLUSD fund
Product development is already taking place while validators consider the amendments. Clearpool is testing an institutional credit product on the XRP Ledger development network.
The planned fund would provide RLUSD-denominated working-capital loans to fintech and payment companies. Cicada Partners would source borrowers, establish lending terms and monitor their financial condition. Clearpool would provide the infrastructure for creating and operating the credit pools.
Ripple will participate as a limited partner alongside other investors. The company is providing capital, but it is not serving as a financial backstop. Ripple would therefore invest on comparable terms and would not guarantee losses suffered by other participants.
The companies have not disclosed the fund’s target size or Ripple’s commitment. As the planned RLUSD credit fund remains in testing, it cannot use the proposed native lending functions on mainnet before both amendments activate.
Clearpool said its integration will use isolated markets managed by independent risk specialists. This approach is designed to prevent a problem involving one borrower or pool from spreading across every lending market.
What the lending vote means for XRP holders
The amendments could create new uses for XRP Ledger assets, but they would not automatically provide yield to every XRP holder. Access would depend on which vaults launch, the assets they accept, their eligibility rules and their underlying borrowers.
Some institutional pools may use permissioned domains and verified credentials. Retail participation is therefore not guaranteed. Each product could impose separate restrictions based on jurisdiction, investor classification and compliance requirements.
RLUSD is expected to serve as the main credit asset in the Clearpool and Cicada fund. XRP would retain its network role by covering transaction fees and account reserve requirements.
XRP Ledger transaction fees are destroyed rather than paid to validators. Greater lending activity could consequently increase XRP fee consumption, but fees are normally very small. The effect on total XRP supply would depend on sustained transaction volume and should not be described as a major source of scarcity before real usage data exists.
XRP traded around $1.06 at the time of writing. No verified price movement could be attributed directly to the latest lending vote.
Security reviews do not remove lending risks
The lending code has undergone formal verification and independent security reviews. Halborn’s re-audit found no critical or high-risk vulnerabilities.
The review identified one medium-risk issue, two low-risk issues and two informational findings. The reported matters were resolved, accepted or acknowledged by Ripple’s engineering team, according to the audit findings.
Those reviews address technical behavior, not whether borrowers will repay their loans. Institutions considering a vault must still evaluate its manager, underwriting standards, first-loss protection, withdrawal rules and exposure concentration.
The next formal milestone is validator approval. If either amendment crosses 80%, it must hold that level for 14 days. Clearpool must also finish its development-network testing before moving its product to mainnet.
A related Federal Reserve master-account application submitted through Standard Custody remains separate from the lending vote. Approval could improve RLUSD settlement infrastructure, but the outcome and timing remain uncertain. BNY continues serving as the primary custodian for RLUSD reserves.
