XRP Ledger Upgrade Poses Challenges for Outdated Nodes

As the XRP Ledger (XRPL) community faces a familiar situation, operators are warned that almost half of the XRPL servers may be locked out due to outdated software. This issue is being highlighted by a community tracker, which emphasizes the urgency for node upgrades.

Key Takeaways

Many XRP Ledger servers are at risk of becoming amendment blocked due to outdated software.
Amendment blocking serves as a safety feature, not a network failure.
Consensus is maintained by trusted validators, ensuring ongoing network functionality despite blocked servers.
Observers consider the situation routine rather than alarming, although it presents challenges for users reliant on third-party infrastructure.
Upgrading software is essential for continued participation in the XRPL network.

XRP Ledger news

“In about ~10 hours, 418 (!!) out of 999 XRPL servers will be DOWN as they become amendment blocked!” reported X user Krippenreiter. He added that amendment-blocked servers will be unable to verify the validity of ledgers, submit or process transactions, or participate in the consensus process.

XRP validator and node upgrade status | Source: X @krippenreiter

Understanding the Impact of Amendment Blocking

While this news may sound alarming, it’s essential to recognize that amendment blocking is a safety mechanism, not an indication of network failure. When new protocol rules are implemented, older software can no longer accurately process ledgers. Consequently, the network places these servers in a non-active state to avoid confusion.

So, does the amendment-blocking of "almost half the servers” affect the network's functionality during peak activity? “Not at all,” Krippenreiter reassured the community. “All dUNL validators are safe, meaning all ‘trusted’ validators can continue their operations as usual. (And handle increased loads)… For everything else, there is ‘FeeEscalation’.” The key takeaway is that consensus relies on a trustworthy set of validators, and fee escalation helps manage transaction costs during busy periods, preventing spam and overload.

Most observers of the XRPL view this situation as standard maintenance rather than a critical issue. “Is this unusual or dangerous? No. This occurs nearly every time there’s an amendment,” noted another user who shared past incidents and observed that slower nodes usually upgrade later. The XRPL amendment procedure is designed with ample lead time; amendments require consistent support from trusted validators for two weeks before being activated.

Nevertheless, the optics of having numerous public servers lag behind simultaneously can create challenges for wallets, explorers, and businesses reliant on external infrastructure. Even if overall consensus is unaffected, a decrease in up-to-date nodes may lead to reduced redundancy, causing more issues such as support tickets and the common question, “Why isn’t my transaction going through?”

There is a pathway for upgrades. According to the release notes on XRPL.org for rippled version 2.6.2, the new fixDirectoryLimit amendment and a critical bug fix have been introduced—essential components that are important to address if managing production infrastructure.

In summary, the XRPL is not on the verge of “going down.” However, if you are still operating using the old rippled software in late 2025, the network is about to remind you that keeping software updated is crucial.

As of this writing, XRP is trading in line with broader market trends, showing a decline of -1.5% over the past 24 hours.

XRP price chart XRP remains below the key support zone, 1-week chart | Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com