XRP Ledger 3.3 Upgrade Clears Major Security Test

Sherlock Audit Uncovers Nearly 100 Issues Across Five Feature Areas

The $XRP Ledger community has wrapped up adversarial security testing for the five features set to debut in the upcoming XRPL 3.3.0 release. The review was conducted in partnership with Web3 security firm Sherlock, marking the first collaboration between the firm and Ripple.

The audit surfaced 2 Critical, 6 High, 29 Medium, and 59 Low issues. A total of $309,000 in RLUSD rewards was distributed to researchers for valid findings. The initial contest, announced in April 2026, opened with a reward pool of $550,000.

The results come at a sensitive time for the Batch Transactions feature in particular. A bug bounty program previously uncovered a critical signature validation flaw that could have allowed unauthorized transaction executions, and the bug was severe enough that Ripple pulled the amendment entirely and disabled it in version 3.1.1. The completed adversarial review is intended to give the community greater confidence ahead of reactivation.

What XRPL 3.3.0 Brings to the Network

The xrpld 3.3.0 core server update is scheduled for release during the week of August 3-9, packing five amendments that touch everything from transaction privacy to institutional onboarding.

The five features under review are Batch Transactions, Permission Delegation, MPT DEX, Confidential Transfers for MPT, and Sponsored Fees and Reserves. Batch enables atomic execution of up to eight cross-account transactions, where either every transaction in the batch goes through, or none of them do.

Confidential MPT uses elliptic-curve encryption and zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts from public view while allowing authorized verification by designated third parties such as auditors or regulators.

Sponsored Fees and Reserves would let banks, issuers, or platforms cover transaction fees and account reserves for users, removing a significant onboarding barrier that currently requires every participant to hold XRP before interacting with the network.

Importantly, releasing the software does not immediately activate its amendments. Under the XRP Ledger's governance model, each proposal must secure at least 80% support from trusted validators for two consecutive weeks before taking effect.

The completion of adversarial testing is designed to strengthen each amendment before it enters that validator voting process, reducing the risk of critical vulnerabilities reaching the live network.

Sources:
The Block: Sherlock and Ripple Launch $550K Security Audit Contest for XRP Ledger
Crypto Briefing: XRP Ledger 3.3.0 to Launch with Five Amendments
Crypto News: XRP Ledger v3.3.0 Brings Five Institutional Features