XRPL lenders face potential losses as unsecured lending protocol nears launch

The XRP Ledger community is advancing a new decentralized lending protocol that breaks from conventional DeFi models by allowing approved borrowers to take out fixed-term loans without depositing cryptocurrency collateral directly into the platform.

XRPL’s Proposed Unsecured Lending Framework

The backbone of the new system is the XLS-66 Lending Protocol, which introduces lending based on off-chain credit assessments and investor-pooled funds. Unlike standard decentralized finance platforms that use automatic collateral liquidation to protect lenders if asset prices drop, this protocol relies on credit analysis rather than locked crypto deposits.

Depositors provide assets—such as XRP, RLUSD, or other eligible cryptocurrencies—into a communal vault. This vault operates using the XLS-65 Single Asset Vault standard, while the lending and borrower evaluation processes are managed via the XLS-66 protocol. A loan broker oversees borrower screening, establishes borrowing terms, and manages on-chain loan agreements on XRPL without relying on automatic smart contract collateralization.

Industry experts note that the design mirrors institutional private credit more closely than typical DeFi lending structures. Instead of token-to-token collateral swaps, lenders’ pooled assets are used to originate loans based on the borrower’s creditworthiness, as determined by the broker operating outside the blockchain.

Depositors shoulder a degree of risk because if a borrower fails to repay and the available first-loss protection is not sufficient, the shortfall will come from the shared vault, impacting all contributors.

Developers suggest that this approach could integrate with credit solutions from institutional partners such as Ripple, Clearpool, and Cicada Partners, but these relationships are separate from the lending proposal currently being considered under XLS-66.

Mini dictionary: XLS-66 is a proposed amendment to the XRP Ledger that facilitates decentralized, undercollateralized lending using off-chain credit analysis. The XLS-65 Single Asset Vault standard enables secure asset pooling and vault share issuance on-chain.

First-Loss Protection and Investor Risk

The XLS-66 specification includes a first-loss capital mechanism to address defaults, allowing loan brokers to deposit reserve funds that can absorb a portion of bad debt. When a borrower defaults, the protocol can use this reserve to cover some losses.

Importantly, participation in first-loss protection is optional and does not automatically cover every outstanding loan. Should losses exceed the reserve amount, any remaining deficit is deducted from the pool of assets in the vault, meaning depositors may ultimately bear the remaining risk.

Since the framework avoids automatic liquidation, as seen in collateralized lending, recoveries depend entirely on external actions and the borrower’s cooperation.

Unlike collateral-based systems, the XRPL protocol cannot seize or sell borrower assets in the event of default, making risk management a key focus for depositors and brokers alike.

This structure is particularly relevant for stablecoin lending. Even when borrowers receive stablecoins such as RLUSD, the protocol’s safety depends on borrower repayment rather than price stability alone.

Activation Progress and Future Prospects

The XLS-66 Lending Protocol has not yet been implemented on the XRPL mainnet. As of November 13, both LendingProtocol and LendingProtocolV1_1 gathered 22 validator votes each out of 35, remaining seven votes short of the quorum. The SingleAssetVault amendment has reached 23 approvals and is six votes away from the required threshold.

Amendments must maintain more than 80% validator support for two consecutive weeks to enter effect. The LendingProtocolV1_1 update would additionally bring closed-ended vault structures and cash-basis interest accounting.

Ripple, a fintech company known for its payment solutions and contributions to the XRP Ledger, continues to explore XRP-backed institutional credit and potential uses within broader credit markets, separate from the proposed native protocol’s structure.