Crypto investigator ZachXBT doubled down on his criticism of XRP holders, claiming that they offer little value to the industry.
Crypto sleuth ZachXBT has once again taken aim at the XRP XRP $2.98 24h volatility: 1.8% Market cap: $177.25 B Vol. 24h: $6.74 B community, stating that American fintech Ripple no longer funds initiatives that provide meaningful guidance to its users.
Responding to a news outlet on social media, he advised XRPL scam victims to file an IC3 report and track stolen funds through exchanges because Ripple is unable to help its community.
NEW: @zachxbt SAYS “RIPPLE HOLDERS PROVIDE NOTHING OF VALUE TO THE INDUSTRY EXCEPT EXIT LIQUIDITY FOR INSIDERS THUS ARE NOT WORTH SUPPORTING (LIKEWISE WITH CARDANO, PULSECHAIN, HEDERA, ETC)” pic.twitter.com/q6dX6qt7GC
— DEGEN NEWS (@DegenerateNews) August 28, 2025
Self-Custody is the Way: ZachXBT
He added that managing assets via self-custody is not simple for most people and requires a stronger understanding of scams and industry risks.
An actual answer: Due to the amount stolen the best option is to file an IC3 report and trace to exchanges.
The Ripple foundation is cheap and no longer funds public goods that provide guidance to their community unlike other chains.
Learn more about the industry and scams… pic.twitter.com/cNdXwGx6MH
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) August 28, 2025
He stated that Ripple has become “cheap” in its approach, reducing support for public goods compared to other blockchain projects.
This, he argued, leaves XRP investors without adequate protection or resources in a sector already filled with scammers due to lack of regulatory guardrails.
Criticism of XRP Is Not New
This is not the first time XRP has faced scrutiny. Crypto researcher Justin Bons has repeatedly criticized Ripple’s control over the Unique Node List (UNL), arguing that it centralizes validator influence.
Bons also highlighted the absence of incentives for validators and XRP’s heavily pre-mined structure (99.8% of the supply was allocated at launch), leaving insiders with disproportionate control.
1/25) Ripple is centralized & permissioned, contrary to the claims made by its executives
XRP is misleading investors by lying about its decentralization
The foundation has total control over the network!
Attracting retail buyers with such false claims is straight-up fraud! ⚠️
— Justin Bons (@Justin_Bons) December 2, 2024
Analyst Rajat Soni shared similar concerns, warning that Ripple’s ownership of nearly half the total supply raises red flags around price manipulation.
XRP is a scam.
Banks will never use XRP.
They will use some form of USD backed by Bitcoin, or just straight up Bitcoin.
Let me explain:
— Rajat Soni, CFA (@rajatsonifnance) January 17, 2025
In 2024, Forbes went as far as to label the XRP Ledger a “zombie chain,” arguing that despite low fees, it contributes little to global payments when compared to established systems like SWIFT.
Last month, Fred Krueger, a veteran Wall Street trader and former arbitrage expert at Salomon Brothers and Greenwich Capital, said that XRP has no real-world use.
Not one actual human being is using XRP.
Not one.— Fred Krueger (@dotkrueger) July 26, 2025
Despite all the criticism it has received, the token is up more than 420% in the past year, making it a top crypto to buy in 2025.
Chris Larsen’s $175M Transfer
Meanwhile, ZachXBT recently flagged a $175 million XRP transfer by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. The sale, timed shortly after a price peak, led to speculations of insider dumping.
Despite the transfer, Larsen still controls roughly 2.81 billion XRP. He stepped down as the CEO of Ripple in 2016 and also contributed to political donations in 2024.
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