XRP Ledger Validators Face Amendment-Block Deadline for Critical rippled 2.6.2 Upgrade

XRP Ledger (XRPL) validators have been issued an urgent warning to upgrade their systems to rippled software version 2.6.2 within the next 13 days and 20 hours or risk being amendment-blocked. This action would cut them off from future network developments and consensus. The alert was prominently issued by validator Jon Nilsen, who emphasized the critical nature of the deadline.

The rippled 2.6.2 release, first announced by Ripple on November 19, introduces vital updates to the network's core protocol. A key improvement is the activation of the "fixDirectoryLimit" amendment, which removes directory page limits to significantly enhance network efficiency. The update also patches a major bug that previously caused assertion failures when all inner transactions within a Batch transaction were invalid, thereby improving overall stability.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz has endorsed the upgrade's reliability, noting that his own hub has been running version 2.6.2 for over a week without issues. This serves to bolster validator confidence in the update's necessity and stability for seamless network participation.

Concurrently, the XRP Ledger is rolling out new programmable features. Smart Escrows are now being introduced, allowing users to set custom, on-chain conditions for releasing escrowed funds—such as triggers based on real-time XRP price data from oracles. This is part of a broader "Smart Features" initiative to increase XRPL's programmability. Furthermore, the upcoming TokenEscrow amendment (currently open for voting) will expand the ledger's capabilities by enabling escrow contracts to hold not just XRP, but also issued assets and multi-purpose tokens (MPTs).

These combined technical upgrades and feature expansions are designed to attract more developers and businesses to the XRPL platform by supporting a wider array of use cases and ensuring a more efficient, stable network foundation.