XRP Ledger developers test wallets with zero XRP for stablecoin payments

XRP Ledger developers are testing a transaction that would let payment apps open wallets with no XRP in them, which could change how stablecoin products are built on the network. For readers tracking Ripple’s RLUSD and AI-agent payments, the proposal targets a cost that currently applies to every account.

• A code proposal submitted October 15 introduces SponsoredAccountCreate, letting one account create another and cover its reserve.
• XRP Ledger requires 1 XRP per account today, so 100,000 accounts would lock 100,000 XRP.
• The proposal depends on a sponsorship amendment that held 11 validator votes as of October 19, against 29 required.

• 1 XRP minimum reserve locked per account today, versus zero under the proposal
• 100,000 XRP a company must lock today to open 100,000 accounts
• 11 validator votes the sponsorship amendment held as of October 19
• 29 votes required for activation, leaving the amendment 18 short

CoinDesk reported that developers working on the XRP Ledger are testing a way to create blockchain accounts holding zero XRP. If adopted, payment applications and automated software could operate without first depositing the cryptocurrency into every wallet. The code is a pull request that remains open and depends on validator approval that has not arrived.

SponsoredAccountCreate would let a sponsor fund a new account’s reserve

The XRP Ledger currently requires a minimum reserve of 1 XRP for each account. That money stays locked while the account is active, which prevents the network from being flooded with empty wallets. A company creating 100,000 separate accounts would need to set aside 100,000 XRP just to meet the requirement.

Under the proposed system, a sponsoring account would cover the reserve. The new wallet could then keep a zero XRP balance.

The network’s overall reserve obligation would not shrink. The sponsor would carry the cost instead of the customer. Sponsors could also pay transaction fees through a broader sponsorship mechanism, letting applications settle those charges on behalf of their users.

Ripple’s Privy embedded wallets still need XRP before they activate

Ripple recently partnered with Stripe-owned Privy to bring embedded wallets to XRP Ledger applications. The integration is intended to support payments using XRP and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, including automated payments made by AI agents.

Those wallets currently need XRP funding before they can become active, even when they are meant to hold only stablecoins. The new code would create an account directly without sending it any XRP.

The transaction builds on the broader Sponsored Fees and Reserves standard. That standard allows another account to pay network costs without taking control of the user’s private keys. Ripple and Privy are not quoted on the proposal in the reporting, so their positions on it are not represented.

The sponsorship amendment held 11 of the 29 votes it needs

The pull request has two unresolved automated code-review findings. It also relies on sponsorship changes that have yet to activate on mainnet. Those changes still need validator approval.

According to XRPL Dashboard, the sponsorship amendment had 11 votes from the network’s trusted validators as of October 19. That is well short of the 29 required, a gap of 18 votes. Validator operators have not been quoted on whether they support the change.

Until the amendment activates, SponsoredAccountCreate cannot run on the live network.

The BlockWest read. We read this as a shift in who funds onboarding. Today the reserve falls on each customer wallet. Under the proposal it moves to the sponsor’s balance sheet, so RLUSD and agent-payment products would need an operator holding enough XRP to back every account they open. The cost does not vanish; it concentrates in the businesses that build on the ledger.

The next marker is the vote tally on XRPL Dashboard, where the sponsorship amendment needs 18 more votes beyond the 11 it held on October 19. The pull request must also clear its two open review findings before SponsoredAccountCreate can move toward mainnet.

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