Why run a server
3 minDifficulty Checked 2026-11-10- Two programs power the network: xrpld, the core server, and Clio, an API server.
- A dishonest server can lie to you about payments. Your own server removes that risk.
- One xrpld binary covers every role: API server, hub, validator or offline test mode.
Your wallet does not talk to "the ledger." It talks to a server. That server holds a copy of the ledger, answers questions about it and passes your transactions along.
Most people use servers run by someone else. Free public servers exist for anyone to use. That is fine for everyday use and for learning.
So why would anyone run their own?
Trust. A server tells you what the ledger says. A dishonest one could tell you a payment arrived when it did not. It could hide the best exchange offers from you. With your own server, the answers come from a machine you control.
Control. A shared server serves many users. It can slow you down or cut off heavy requests. Your own server works only for you, and it accepts admin commands that public servers refuse.
Availability. A public server can go away or block you. A business that depends on the ledger does not want to depend on a stranger's uptime.
Two programs do the work.
- xrpld is the core server. It connects to other servers, checks every transaction and keeps the ledger. It was called rippled until 2026.
- Clio is a helper that answers questions about past, confirmed data quickly. It reads from an xrpld server.
Running a server is not mining and earns nothing. It is plumbing. See Agreeing without mining.
Roles of xrpld. One binary, several configurations.
| Mode or role | What it does |
|---|---|
| P2P mode | The default. Follows the network, processes transactions, keeps some ledger history |
| Stock server | P2P mode with a minimally modified config |
| API server | Any P2P server answering API requests. Can keep full history |
| Hub | P2P server with many peer connections. Public hubs accept connections from the open internet |
| Validator | P2P server that also takes part in consensus. Off by default |
| Stand-alone | Offline testing. No peers, no consensus, ledger advanced manually |
P2P mode servers connect to Mainnet by default.
What a malicious server can do, from xrpl.org:
- Report that you were paid when no payment was made.
- Show or hide payment paths and offers to profit at your expense.
- Take everything, if you send it your secret key.
Sign locally and the third risk goes away. See Scams and signing.
Public servers. xrpl.org lists these for Mainnet, among others:
| Operator | WebSocket URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| InFTF | wss://xrplcluster.com/ | Full history cluster |
| Honeycluster | wss://honeycluster.io/ | Full history cluster with Clio |
| Ripple | wss://s1.ripple.com/ | General purpose |
| Ripple | wss://s2.ripple.com/ | Full history |
Ripple states its public servers are not for sustained or business use.
Test networks. Testnet runs stable releases and aims to mirror Mainnet's amendments. Devnet runs beta releases with features not yet on Mainnet. Both use test XRP with no value. Both can be reset at any time.
Validator behind a proxy. An operator can keep a validator on a private network and let a stock server relay for it. This makes the validator harder to attack.
Related: Installing xrpld.
- Networks and ServersRead 2026-11-10
- xrpld Server ModesRead 2026-11-10
- Public ServersRead 2026-11-10
- Parallel NetworksRead 2026-11-10
