Ripple and Immunefi unveil $200K security competition for XRPL

Ripple and Immunefi revealed plans on October 13 for an Attackathon to test the security of the proposed XRP Ledger Lending Protocol before its anticipated validator approval vote.

The bug bounty initiative distributes $200,000 among security experts discovering vulnerabilities in the protocol. Immunefi, which safeguards more than $180 billion in on-chain assets, will engage its community of more than 60,000 researchers.

The program marks a key move toward expanding institutional DeFi capabilities on XRP Ledger, introducing native pooled lending mechanisms and credit underwriting. The protocol enables developers and institutions to automate lending operations from issuance to repayment while accessing international liquidity networks.

Mitchell Amador, founder and CEO of Immunefi, highlighted the strategic importance:

This initiative not only strengthens XRPL's infrastructure but also reinforces Immunefi's mission to protect the most critical ecosystems in Web3.

RippleX product head Jasmine Cooper stressed pre-launch validation requirements:

XRPL was designed to support secure, real-world financial applications, and that's especially important as lending is introduced to the network. Partnering with Immunefi allows us to work with some of the top security researchers to help strengthen this new layer of XRPL's DeFi infrastructure.

The competition unfolds across two distinct phases. Attackathon Academy, an educational phase begins October 13 to brief researchers on the protocol’s design and technical specifications. Bug hunting activities commence October 27, extending through November 29.

XRP Ledger debuted in 2012, has operated for over a decade with low fees and fast settlements. A distributed network of independent validators and contributors maintains the blockchain infrastructure.

Immunefi has prevented approximately $25 billion in potential security breaches across 650+ protocols. Current partnerships include Chainlink, Ethereum Foundation, Optimism, and Arbitrum.

Both organizations plan a live X Spaces discussion featuring Immunefi security teams and XRPL Foundation technical staff throughout the competition window. Progress updates, ranking information, and outcome announcements will appear on Immunefi's dedicated Attackathon portal.

Registration and comprehensive competition guidelines will be available at immunefi.com starting October 13.