ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple for $250K Bug Bounty on Critical XRP Ledger Flaw
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has publicly criticized Ripple's $250,000 bug bounty payout for a critical XRP Ledger vulnerability.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has publicly criticized Ripple's $250,000 bug bounty payout for a critical XRP Ledger vulnerability. XRP (XRP) is trading at $1.37. This is an original Token Times brief synthesising 10 outlets (Crypto Adventure, Protos, ZyCrypto, and others), with their figures cross-checked, plus live market data, as of Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:15:01 UTC.
The controversy highlights the debate over bug bounty valuations in the crypto industry, particularly for vulnerabilities that could compromise the security of major blockchain networks and their native assets.
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- XRP Ledger hits major milestone as security flaw is revealed ↗
- XRP Ledger Foundation Faces Huge Backlash Over Pity Bounty Payouts ↗
- A Decade-Old Ripple XRP Ledger Flaw Was Patched Before Disclosure ↗
- XRPL branded 'cheap' for paying infinite XRP exploiter just $250K ↗
- Critical XRPL Flaw Could Have Let Hackers Mint 18 Trillion XRP, Here’s More ↗
- ZachXBT claims the $250K bounty is insufficient for the critical XRP Ledger vulnerability.
- The flaw could have enabled attackers to create unauthorized XRP tokens.
- Ripple's bounty is criticized as 'cheap' compared to potential losses of $100M or more.
Crypto Adventure and Protos both report that ZachXBT criticized Ripple for the $250,000 bug bounty, arguing it was disproportionately low given the severity of the vulnerability. Protos further emphasizes ZachXBT's claim that Ripple's decision could lead to future losses of $100 million or more from similar exploits, while Crypto Adventure focuses on the potential for creating unauthorized XRP tokens. No outlet contradicts these core facts.
- XRP Ledger Bug Prompts Centralization Debate Amid Ripple's Response
- ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple for $250K Bug Bounty on Critical XRP Ledger Flaw — this brief
- XRP Ledger Patches Critical Supply Cap Vulnerability Amid Decentralization Debate
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has publicly criticized Ripple for awarding a $250,000 bug bounty for a critical vulnerability in the 
XRP Ledger. The researcher argues that the payout is insufficient considering the potential damage the flaw could have caused if exploited.
According to ZachXBT's posts on X, the vulnerability could have allowed attackers to create unauthorized XRP tokens, posing a significant threat to the cryptocurrency's supply integrity. The investigator claims that Ripple's bounty is 'cheap' and could encourage similar exploits in the future.
Protos reports that ZachXBT believes Ripple's decision to award such a relatively low bounty could result in losses of $100 million or more from future exploits. This perspective underscores the broader debate about the adequacy of bug bounty programs in the cryptocurrency industry.
The XRP Ledger vulnerability was responsibly disclosed and patched before any malicious exploitation occurred. However, the incident has sparked discussions about the appropriate valuation of bug bounties for critical blockchain vulnerabilities.
In the current market context, XRP is trading at $1.37, down 3.61% in the last 24 hours and 8.68% over the past week, with a market cap of $86.32 billion. The broader crypto market remains relatively flat, with a total market cap of $2.88 trillion and a Fear & Greed Index of 57, indicating a state of 'Greed.'
Since this brief published about 20 hours ago, XRP (XRP) has moved from $1.37 to $1.37 — +0.00%.
The chart plots XRP's price: grey is the move before this brief published, the vertical dashed line marks the moment it published, the horizontal dashed line is the price then, and the coloured area is the move since — from Token Times's market data (daily resolution). It shows what happened after the news, not that the news caused it; many factors move prices. Not financial advice.
At today's peer-to-peer rate, 1 XRP ≈ ₹142.48 (about $1.37), down 2.9% over 24 hours. The rupee itself trades about 8.4% above the official rate on the P2P market, so a Indian buyer's effective cost differs from the headline dollar price.
Live market data
Current prices for the assets in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
1 key figure independently matched across 2 outlets reporting this story.
Token Times extracts the figures each outlet reports and flags the ones that agree. Numbers cited by only one outlet are attributed in the brief, not shown as corroborated.
ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple for $250K Bug Bounty on Critical X — questions & answers
What was the actual bug bounty paid by Ripple?
Ripple paid a $250,000 bug bounty for the critical XRP Ledger vulnerability.
Why is ZachXBT criticizing Ripple's bounty?
ZachXBT believes the $250,000 bounty is too low for a flaw that could have compromised XRP's supply integrity.
What potential impact could the vulnerability have had?
The vulnerability could have allowed attackers to create unauthorized XRP tokens, potentially causing significant financial damage.
How much is 1 XRP worth in rupee today?
About ₹142.48 at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Indians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $1.37. The rupee price moves with both XRP's US-dollar price and the USDT/INR rate; use our XRP in rupee page for any amount.
Which outlets reported this story?
This is an original Token Times brief that synthesises reporting from Crypto Adventure, Protos, ZyCrypto, 99Bitcoins, U.Today, Finbold, Live Bitcoin News, CryptoPotato, Bitcoin Sistemi, The Block, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.
Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Token Times brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.