Oct 28, 2026, 7:52 a.m. EDT
2 min read
Summary
- XRP Ledger developers are testing a transaction that would let sponsors cover account reserves, allowing new wallets to hold zero XRP.
- The proposal could reduce costs for payment applications and automated software by enabling sponsors to pay users’ reserve requirements and transaction fees without controlling their private keys.
- The code remains under review and depends on a broader sponsorship amendment that had secured only 11 of the 29 validator votes required for approval as of Oct. 19.
Builders working on the XRP Ledger are examining a method to establish blockchain profiles containing zero XRP, which could enable billing platforms and automated programs to function without needing to deposit the native token into every single wallet beforehand.
A code submission put forward on Oct. 15 introduces a new function called SponsoredAccountCreate, granting an active address the ability to generate a separate address while simultaneously handling its backing reserve mandate.
The XRP Ledger currently mandates a baseline reserve of 1 XRP per profile. That capital stays locked during the entire operational lifespan of the address, stopping bad actors from spamming the system with vacant accounts.
A business establishing 100,000 distinct wallets would otherwise have to set aside 100,000 XRP strictly to satisfy those asset lockups.
Under this newly suggested framework, a sponsoring address takes care of the reserve liability, letting the fresh wallet maintain a zero XRP balance. The network’s total required reserve baseline stays intact, but the sponsor shoulders the expense rather than the end user.
Sponsors could additionally shoulder transaction fees through a broader subsidy structure, permitting software services to pay these costs on behalf of their clientele.
How this system could be useful
Ripple recently collaborated with Stripe-backed Privy to integrate embedded wallets into XRP Ledger software. The system aims to facilitate transfers utilizing XRP alongside Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, which includes autonomous micro-transactions executed by artificial intelligence agents.
Those digital wallets currently demand XRP funding before becoming fully operational, even in scenarios where they exist purely to house stablecoin assets.
The proposed account creation mechanism builds upon the broader Sponsored Fees and Reserves guideline, which permits an outside address to cover network fees without taking ownership of the account holder’s private keys. This updated code would instantiate a wallet straightaway without transferring any XRP to it.
The pull request remains active, featuring two pending automated code-assessment remarks. It also relies upon sponsorship upgrades that have not yet launched on the main network.
These specific protocol upgrades still require approval from network validators. The sponsorship amendment held 11 out of the 35 required tallies from trusted network validators as of Oct. 19, according to data from XRPL Dashboard, falling well short of the 29 needed.
Read More: XRP Ledger bug fix nears activation while Ripple’s bank lending system stays 10 votes short
Originally published at https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/10/28/xrp-ledger-developers-propose-creating-wallets-with-zero-xrp-for-stablecoin-payments.
