XRP and Ledger Fundamentals
Build a precise working vocabulary for XRP, ledger versions, addresses, transactions, and the networks used for learning and production.
What this category covers
This collection establishes the language needed to evaluate every other XRP Ledger topic. It separates the asset from the network, explains the identifiers visible in explorers, and shows how individual transactions fit into an ordered ledger history.
After working through this collection, you should be able to:
- Distinguish XRP, XRPL, Ripple, and the rippled server software.
- Read the basic identifiers shown by an XRP Ledger explorer.
- Choose the correct XRPL network for production, testing, or development.
Foundation guides
What Is XRP? A Source-Backed Introduction
Understand what XRP is, how it relates to the XRP Ledger, and what its built-in role actually means.
Read foundation guide →7 min · Reviewed 2026-08-22How the XRP Ledger Works
A practical walkthrough of XRPL accounts, transactions, ledger versions, servers, and validation.
Read foundation guide →5 min · Reviewed 2026-08-22Ripple vs. XRP: The Important Difference
Separate the company, the digital asset, the ledger, and the open-source server software.
Read foundation guide →Explore fundamentals
Move from the question you have to a canonical guide, then continue through related concepts and the cited primary documentation.
- 01.01Verified
What Are Drops? The Smallest Unit of XRP
Learn how XRP amounts are represented in drops and why APIs often use integer values.
Read verified guide → - 01.02Verified
How Much XRP Exists—and Why the Supply Declines
Trace XRP's fixed initial supply and the protocol mechanism that destroys transaction costs.
Read verified guide → - 01.03Verified
XRP Mainnet vs. Testnet vs. Devnet
Compare production and testing networks, their endpoints, data, and valueless test XRP.
Read verified guide → - 01.04Verified
Is the XRP Ledger a Blockchain?
Place XRPL within blockchain terminology while explaining how its ledger history and consensus differ from mining systems.
Read verified guide → - 01.05Verified
Anatomy of an XRP Ledger Address
Understand classic addresses, their public role, and the checks that help detect mistyped destinations.
Read verified guide → - 01.06Verified
Ledger Indexes, Hashes, and Close Times Explained
Identify a ledger version by its sequence, cryptographic hash, and recorded close time.
Read verified guide → - 01.07Verified
What Is an XRP Transaction Hash?
Use a transaction hash as a durable identifier for lookup, support, and reconciliation.
Read verified guide → - 01.08Verified
How to Read an XRP Ledger Explorer
Interpret account balances, validated status, transaction fields, metadata, and ledger references.
Read verified guide → - 01.09Verified
How Transactions Are Ordered in an XRPL Ledger
See why canonical ordering is necessary for servers to calculate the same final state.
Read verified guide → - 01.10Verified
What Are XRPL Pseudo-Transactions?
Understand consensus-generated transactions used for amendments, fee changes, and other network operations.
Read verified guide →