- An XRP Ledger bug fix called fixCleanup3_4_0 was set to activate on October 23, but a brief dip in validator support reset its clock. It is now scheduled to go live at 14:46 UTC on November 4, according to XRPLWin.
- Rule changes need backing from more than 80% of the 35 validators the network trusts by default, or 29, at every check for 14 straight days. The fix sat at exactly 29 votes on Monday, fell to 26 at a 12:54 UTC check on Wednesday, and recovered to 29 by 14:46 UTC.
- Support has since climbed to 31 of 35, giving the fix two votes to spare on its second run after having none the first time. Neither tracker shows which validators dropped, and a server that was offline or restarting counts the same as a no vote.
- The patch closes a loophole that could let an account allowed only to burn an issuer’s tokens create new ones under certain conditions. It also adjusts how the lending code decides when a loan is late or in default, code tied to the lending system Ripple has pitched to banks since June.
What Happened?
The XRP Ledger’s amendment process requires a supermajority of trusted validators to hold support continuously for two weeks, with checks roughly every 15 minutes, CoinDesk reported. The fix had no margin, so a short drop in yes votes on Wednesday was enough to restart the countdown. The lending system the code supports lets lenders park XRP or other tokens in vaults while a broker lends them out for a fixed term. That system still is not live as of Thursday.
Why It Matters?
The episode shows how thin consensus margins can delay upgrades on the XRP Ledger, even when there is no real opposition to a change. For Ripple, the delay matters because the lending product is part of its pitch to banks and payment companies, and every reset pushes back the timeline for institutional use. The token-issuance loophole is also the kind of flaw that institutions will want closed before putting tokenized assets on the ledger. The lack of visibility into which validators dropped off raises questions about how reliably the default validator list can deliver upgrades.
What’s Next?
Watch whether support stays at or above 29 through November 4, since any single missed check would restart the clock again. A cushion of 31 votes makes a second reset less likely but not impossible if servers go offline. After the fix activates, attention will turn to whether Ripple’s lending system can secure enough votes to go live. Progress on that front would be a meaningful step for XRP’s use in bank and payment workflows.
Affected Tickers and Coins: XRP
Source: CoinDesk
