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Layer 1

XRP Ledger

A payments focused ledger built for fast, cheap settlement between institutions.

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By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this5 min readReference
The short answer

A payments focused ledger built for fast, cheap settlement between institutions. The XRP Ledger was designed for moving money, not running apps. It settles in seconds for a fraction of a cent and has a built in order book.

Live market data

LiveCoinGecko
Price
$1.49
-0.37% 24h
Market cap
$93.67B
24h volume
$3.92B
Rank
#5
All time high
$3.65

Prices as of September 29, 2026, replaced by live figures as the page loads. Prices move constantly and are for orientation only.

What XRP Ledger is for

The XRP Ledger was designed for moving money, not running apps. It settles in seconds for a fraction of a cent and has a built in order book.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 1
Launched2012
ConsensusXRPL consensus protocol
ThroughputAbout 1500
Finality3 to 5 seconds
Native tokenXRP pays a tiny burned fee on every transaction

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

What to be aware of

  • Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
  • Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Other networks at this layer

Same job, different tradeoffs. Each of these has its own page covering what it is actually for, who runs it and where it struggles.

Common questions

Is XRP the same as the XRP Ledger?
XRP is the asset. The XRP Ledger is the network it lives on, which also supports a built in decentralized exchange, token issuance and now smart contracts through a sidechain. People use the names interchangeably and they are different things.
Do I need XRP to use the ledger?
Yes, twice over. Fees are paid in XRP and destroyed rather than paid to validators, and every account has to hold a small reserve of XRP to exist at all.

Where to go next

New to XRP Ledger?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.

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