XRPL’s Planned Fix for Slow Ledger Closes Comes With Unanswered Questions
XRP Ledger Operations says version 3.5.0 is expected to include a lasting fix for occasional slow ledger closures. But the December 3 release date has no year attached, and the team has not publicly explained what caused the delays or what changes are meant to address them.
- Version 3.5.0 was announced for December 3, with no year specified.
- A recommended xrpld configuration change reportedly improved close times in October.
- The issue’s scope, cause and lasting resolution remain unclear.
What XRP Ledger Operations Reported
In updates attributed to XRP Ledger Operations, the team said version 3.5.0 would include technical improvements and bug fixes, including a “long-lasting fix” for occasional slow ledger closes. It also said interim measures had improved close times and that the network was being monitored closely.
“XRPL version 3.5.0 will be on Dec 3. Just improvements/fixes, including a long-lasting fix for the occasional slow ledger close times, ” XRP Ledger Operations said.
The announcement does not specify the year for December 3. The October 21 and October 22 updates about the slowdown and interim measure also lack a year, making the timeline difficult to pin down.
The statements describe intermittent sluggishness but give no figures for how often it occurred, how long ledger closures took, or how much of the network was affected. They also do not quantify any impact on users or applications.
The Interim Measure, and What It Does Not Prove
According to XRP Ledger Operations, developers acknowledged sluggish ledger closures on October 21 and recommended a configuration update for xrpld, software used by network operators, including validators and infrastructure providers. The updates do not name the setting or explain what it changes.
On October 22, Operations reported that occasional slower closures had stopped after the recommended change. The update is encouraging, but it does not prove the issue was resolved across the network or that every operator applied the change. The team described the measure as interim while developers worked on a longer-term software fix.
A ledger close is when the network finalizes a ledger of transactions. XRPL ledgers typically close every three to five seconds, according to the reported information. Slower closes can delay transaction finality, but the updates do not show that users experienced delays or quantify their effects in this incident.
What Still Needs to Be Shown
XRP Ledger Operations has not identified the cause of the slow closes or explained what code changes version 3.5.0 will include. No test results or post-release performance measures have been reported to show how maintainers will judge whether the fix worked.
The remedy can be judged by three things: whether version 3.5.0 ships, what the release notes say it changes, and whether close times remain stable afterward. Until those details are available, the fix remains unverified. The broader debate over XRPL upgrades and hard forks also shows why clear release details matter.
Key Questions About the XRPL Fix
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When is version 3.5.0 scheduled?
XRP Ledger Operations announced December 3 but did not specify the year.
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What is the update expected to fix?
It is expected to address occasional slow ledger closures, along with other improvements and bug fixes. The technical changes have not been detailed.
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What caused the slow closes?
The public updates do not identify a cause.
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How can operators and users tell whether the fix worked?
Release details and performance observations after deployment would help show whether it worked. No specific success measures or results have been reported. Wider XRPL activity includes tokenized U.S. Treasuries and card settlement tests, making reliable network performance relevant beyond ledger metrics. Past reports of XRPL network disruptions are another reason to judge fixes by measurable results.
