Ripple's CTO is exploring native XRP staking.

According to Mars Finance, market sources indicate that David Schwartz, Ripple's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and one of the founding architects of XRP Ledger, has proposed a new staking model that could fundamentally change how the blockchain network operates. This discussion originated from a Twitter threads on X by J. Ayo Akinyele, Ripple's Senior Director of Engineering, exploring the possibility of adding staking functionality to XRP Ledger. Launched in 2012, XRP Ledger uses a Proof-of-Association (PoA) consensus mechanism, where validators agree on XRP transactions every 3-5 seconds. In contrast, blockchains like Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) use a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, requiring users to lock or stake crypto assets to qualify for transaction confirmation and network security, and to earn crypto rewards. Akinyele stated that XRP has evolved from a fast remittance tool into a network supporting tokenized asset settlement and enabling real-time market liquidity. With the launch of the first spot XRP trading asset (ETF) in the United States, the XRP ecosystem has entered a new phase, which has prompted him and Schwartz to consider supporting native staking on XRP Ledger.