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Former Ripple Chief Technology Officer (CTO) David Schwartz has addressed speculation that the crypto firm can block transactions on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). He explained the only way this could happen amid claims that the network is centralized. 

Ripple CTO Emeritus Explains How An XRP Transaction Can Be Blocked

In an X post, the former Ripple CTO said that there is no way to prevent valid transactions on the XRP Ledger unless users agree to change the validity rules to make them invalid. Schwartz made this statement in response to whether Ripple or he, as one of the original developers, can freeze a wallet and prevent a transaction. 

Meanwhile, in response to who can unlock and lock escrows, the former Ripple CTO said that anyone who wants to escrow tokens can lock them in escrow. Once an escrow expires, anyone can unlock it. Schwartz also addressed claims that the XRPL Ledger was centralized because Ripple has a “Unique Node List,” which effectively makes the validators permissioned.

The former Ripple CTO described the claims that the crypto firm could have absolute power and control of the chain as “objectively nonsensical.” He noted that this is similar to claiming that someone with a majority of mining power can create a billion BTC. Justin Bons, Cyber Capital’s founder, who made the claim, explained that he meant Ripple could double-spend or censor the network, similar to someone holding a majority of mining power on the Bitcoin network.

Schwartz rebutted this claim, stating that the XRP Ledger and Bitcoin don’t work the same. He noted that on the XRPL, one can count the number of validators that agree with one’s node. The former Ripple CTO added that a node will not agree to double-spend or censor unless there is a particular reason why the validator wants to do so. 

XRPL ‘Carefully’ Designed To Be Decentralized

The former Ripple CTO reiterated that they carefully and intentionally designed the XRP Ledger so that they could not control it. He explained that they did so, given the regulatory environment and practical realities of being a company and having investors. As such, there was no guarantee that they would always have control over their own actions. 

Schwartz gave an example of how Ripple must honor U.S. court orders, as it cannot refuse such requests. As such, they decided from the onset that they did not want control over the XRP Ledger and that it would be to their benefit not to have control. He also mentioned that it would not make sense if Ripple ever censored transactions or double-spent, even if they had the power to do so, because if they ever did, it would destroy trust in the XRPL.   

Featured image from GitHub, chart from TradingView

British gamblers searching for ways to bet with cryptocurrency are more likely to end up on an illegal website than a regulated one. That is part of what prompted the UK Gambling Commission to start asking whether something needs to change.

Tim Miller, the regulator’s executive director for research and policy, told an industry gathering in London last Thursday that the Commission now wants to look seriously at allowing crypto to be used as a payment method at licensed online gambling platforms in Great Britain.

Illegal Sites Are Driving The Conversation

Miller’s case for taking another look at crypto payments was not built purely on demand, though he acknowledged that appetite among bettors is growing. He made the remarks during the Betting and Gaming Council’s annual general assembly.

The more pointed argument was about where that demand currently goes. According to reports, Miller told attendees that crypto ranks among the two most common search terms that lead British gamblers straight to unregulated, illegal sites.

Blocking crypto from licensed platforms, in other words, may be sending consumers somewhere far less protected rather than discouraging them altogether.

That framing marks a shift. For years, the default position from regulators has been that crypto and gambling together create too much risk. Miller’s comments suggest the Gambling Commission is now weighing whether the bigger risk is doing nothing.

No deadline was attached to the review. Miller said he had asked the Industry Forum — an advisory group made up of representatives from across the gambling sector — to map out the available options.

Whatever path is chosen, he made clear it would come with strict conditions. Affordability checks, suitability assessments, and full compliance with UK gambling rules would all still apply. Accepting crypto would not give casinos any special treatment or exemptions.

A Bigger Regulatory Framework Sets The Timeline

The Gambling Commission’s exploration does not exist in isolation. Any move toward crypto payments at licensed venues would be tied directly to the Financial Conduct Authority’s new crypto oversight framework, which is currently being finalized.

According to reports, the FCA is expected to wrap up its consultation process in March, with the full regime set to take effect in October 2027. Companies wanting to operate under the new rules will need to seek authorization from the FCA, with the application window expected to open in September 2026.

Crypto firms that miss that window face a more restricted path. Reports say they would be allowed to continue running existing products under transitional rules but would not be permitted to roll out new offerings until full authorization is granted.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s long-term structure has always been examined through the perspective of its halving cycle, and one crypto pundit believes the pattern is pointing to a clear price bottom. 

The analysis centers on a recurring time-based rhythm tied to each halving event, and it proposes a specific window for when accumulation could begin again. Crypto pundit Blockchainedbb projected that the Bitcoin phase may be heading into another structured reset phase that drags on for a while, and it may not be until Q4 2024 before the best time for buying BTC presents itself.

The Bitcoin 135-Week Rule Before Halving

The timing framework is based on a recurring pattern observed ahead of Bitcoin’s halving events, highlighted by pundit Blockchainedbb. According to his analysis, each previous major Bitcoin cycle price low formed somewhere around 135 weeks before a halving takes place.

The weekly chart shared in the analysis shows previous halving dates, including May 11, 2020, and April 19, 2024, and overlays green accumulation zones around profitable long-term entry points. Price compression into those zones in previous cycles came before explosive upside moves that eventually led to new all-time highs.

Applying the same calculation forward, Blockchainedbb estimates that the next meaningful bottom could form in late Q4 of this year. The projected price range for that bottom is between $50,000 and $58,000. This range is derived by extrapolating the current cycle’s structure from the previous halving-era bottom.

If the pattern repeats itself again, that means Bitcoin will continue trading in a range of lower lows for most of the year, then position Q4 as the accumulation window before the next sustained uptrend of higher highs kicks in.

Q2 And Q3: A Trader’s Market

Under this approach, Q1 and Q4 are considered by the pundit as the primary windows for investors looking to build longer-term exposure. Q4 is seen as the likely bottoming phase, while Q1 is projected for investors to exit at an approximate price of $75,000. 

On the other hand, Bitcoin price history shows that the remaining quarters, Q2 and Q3, are environments better suited for active short-term traders than long-term holders. According to the pundit, Q2 and Q3 have always been characterized by directional moves and breakdowns below key technical levels, particularly the 200-week exponential moving average for altcoins. During these phases, short-term positioning and tactical trades tend to dominate.

Therefore, the most positive long-term technical outlook is for investors to wait for the more favorable structural window in the fourth quarter of 2026. As it stands, the next Bitcoin halving is projected to take place sometime in April 2028. It will happen at block height 850,000, reducing the block reward from 3.125 to 1.5625 BTC.

Prominent British multinational bank Barclays Plc is exploring the development of a blockchain platform to support payments, signaling a deeper push by traditional finance lenders into digital-asset technology. Notably, the move places Barclays alongside global rivals that are racing to modernize payment infrastructure amid rising adoption of blockchain products, especially stablecoin.

Barclays Mulls Blockchain Payments Infrastructure

According to a Friday report by Bloomberg, Barclays Plc is assessing the creation of a blockchain payment platform capable of supporting payments and settlement services, according to people familiar with the matter. The banking giant has sent out requests for information (RFIs) to prospective technology partners as part of its evaluation process and is aiming to select providers as early as April.

Barclays is exploring new offerings, and the potential use cases for the blockchain platform reportedly include stablecoin-based payments and tokenized deposits. Notably, this move aligns Barclays with peers that have already launched similar initiatives.

Last year, JPMorgan Chase & Co. launched its blockchain-based deposit token, JPM Coin, to serve institutional clients, enabling faster internal transfers and cross-border payments. Meanwhile, BNP Paribas, Bank of America, and Citigroup, alongside six other banks, have united to launch a jointly backed stablecoin. 

In January 2026, Barclays announced a strategic investment in Ubyx on January 7, 2026, marking its first direct stake in a US-based stablecoin settlement firm to develop regulated, tokenized money. With intentions to launch a blockchain payment platform, the UK bank looks to advance its interest in the digital asset ecosystems.

Stablecoins To Gain Momentum In Mainstream Payments

Without a doubt, stablecoins remain one of the most attractive blockchain products to traditional banks. These digital tokens, typically pegged to fiat currencies like the US dollar, are increasingly seen as a disruptive force in global payment.

In July 2025, US President Donald Trump assented to the GENIUS Act, thereby creating a regulatory framework that would encourage institutional participation in the stablecoin operations, among other benefits. 

According to Bloomberg Intelligence, stablecoins could account for more than $50 trillion in annual payments by 2030 if present adoption continues to accelerate. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is predicting a total stablecoin market cap of $2 trillion by 2028 and $3 trillion by 2030.

At press time, the stablecoin market cap is valued at $315 billion based on data from CoinMarketCap. Tether’s USDT accounts for 60% of these figures with a market cap of $187 billion, followed by Circle’s USDC.