ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple's $250K Bug Bounty for XRP Ledger Vulnerability
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has questioned the adequacy of a $250,000 reward for discovering a critical XRP Ledger bug that could have enabled unlimited asset creation.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has questioned the adequacy of a $250,000 reward for discovering a critical XRP Ledger bug that could have enabled unlimited asset creation. XRP (XRP) is trading at $1.37. This is an original Token Times brief based on reporting by Crypto Adventure, with live market data added, as of Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:45:01 UTC.
The discovery and patching of this vulnerability highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by blockchain networks, while the debate over the reward amount raises questions about the incentives for ethical hacking in the crypto space.
- A critical XRP Ledger bug allowing unlimited asset creation was discovered and patched.
- ZachXBT argues the $250,000 bounty is insufficient given the potential damage.
- XRP market cap dropped $2.5B in 24 hours despite broader market gains.
- ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple's $250K Bug Bounty for XRP Ledger Vulnerability — this brief
- Ripple Partners With Privy to Enhance XRP Ledger's Payment Capabilities
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has publicly criticized Ripple for awarding a $250,000 bug bounty for the discovery of a critical vulnerability in the 
XRP Ledger. In a post on X, ZachXBT argued that the reward was disproportionately small considering the potential damage the flaw could have caused if exploited.
The vulnerability, which was reported by multiple outlets, would have allowed malicious actors to print an unlimited amount of XRP tokens. RippleX, Ripple's engineering and software development team, has since patched the bug, according to ZyCrypto and Crypto Adventure.
While the outlets agree on the core facts of the vulnerability and the bounty amount, they differ slightly in their emphasis. ZyCrypto highlights the market context by noting that XRP whales are currently observing the price action cautiously, while Finbold reports that XRP's market capitalization contracted by $2.5 billion over the past 24 hours despite the broader market trending upwards.
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a decentralized blockchain that facilitates fast and low-cost transactions. The discovery of such a critical vulnerability underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by blockchain networks, particularly those that support large-scale asset transfers.
In the current market context, XRP is trading at $1.37, up 1.30% in the last 24 hours but down 8.63% over the past week. The total crypto market cap stands at $2.88 trillion, with 
Bitcoin leading gains at +1.15% in the same period. The Fear & Greed Index is at 62, indicating a state of 'Greed' among investors.
Since this brief published about 39 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 ≈ ₹141.38 (about $1.37), up 0.7% over 24 hours. The rupee itself trades about 8.3% 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 asset in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
ZachXBT Criticizes Ripple's $250K Bug Bounty for XRP Led — questions & answers
What was the vulnerability in the XRP Ledger?
The vulnerability would have allowed attackers to create unlimited amounts of XRP tokens.
How much was the bug bounty paid by Ripple?
Ripple paid a $250,000 bug bounty for the discovery of the vulnerability.
Why is ZachXBT criticizing the reward amount?
ZachXBT believes the $250,000 bounty is too low given the potential damage the vulnerability could have caused.
How much is 1 XRP worth in rupee today?
About ₹141.38 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. 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.