XRP Ledger Glossary
Definitions for key XRP Ledger consensus terms so readers can understand the source material without confusion.
XRP
The native digital asset of the XRP Ledger.
XRP Ledger
A decentralized public blockchain and ledger network commonly abbreviated as XRPL.
Ripple
A company associated with parts of the ecosystem and historical development; not the same thing as XRP Ledger itself.
Consensus
The process by which XRP Ledger servers agree on transaction ordering and ledger state.
Validator
A server that participates in consensus by sharing proposals and validations.
Unique Node List
The set of validators a server listens to when participating in consensus.
Ledger close
The transition from collecting candidate transactions to agreeing on a validated ledger version.
Ripple consensus whitepaper
An early formal description of Ripple-style consensus.
Proof of Work
A mining-based consensus mechanism used by Bitcoin; XRP Ledger does not use Bitcoin-style proof of work.
XRPL Docs
Current technical documentation that should be read alongside older consensus whitepaper material.