I am not defending this crappy coin, but let's at least get our facts straight. He didn't freeze anything. He notified centralized exchanges to freeze the accounts with stolen xrp. Centralized exchanges have always been able to freeze every account, and are legally obligated to prevent to let people wash stolen money. The text OP posted is misleading. Even though ripple is centralized, this is not the example of it, in fact it's quite the oppose. Hacker just wasn't fast enough to cash out.
And again, while i loath XRP, this could happen to anyone with any crypto. If anything this is just underlining that Ripple is very much similar to other cryptos out there. And the fact it can be stolen in the first place is one of those key issues that might prevent mass adoption. So i don't understand why people are bashing XRP for this specific thing.
People are bashing XRP because its a centralized "cryptocurrency". After all, XRP is the "banker's coin". If it's decentralized as it claims to be, then it will survive for generations. But knowing that Ripple Inc. still holds a large portion of XRP tokens, tells me otherwise. Like you've said before, it was possible to "freeze" the stolen XRP through CEXs. By acting quickly, the hacker was unable to cash out the funds.
I sure hope Ripple Inc. doesn't control the validators, because that would give it the ability to "freeze" accounts on the XRP Ledger itself. At least we have a decentralized XRP alternative. Why bother investing in a "banker's coin", when we have Stellar (XLM) by our side?
Your concerns about centralization in the XRP ecosystem are valid and reflect a broader discourse within the crypto community. Indeed, the concentration of XRP tokens within Ripple Inc. raises questions about decentralization and the potential for control over the network.
However, it's worth noting that the ability to freeze funds on centralized exchanges (CEXs) doesn't directly translate to control over the XRP Ledger itself. The XRP Ledger's consensus mechanism is designed to prevent unilateral actions such as freezing accounts without widespread agreement among validators.
Regarding alternatives like Stellar (XLM), it's true that projects like Stellar offer a decentralized alternative with similar features to XRP. Stellar was actually forked from the XRP Ledger in its early days, and both projects share similar goals of facilitating fast and low-cost cross-border transactions.
Ultimately, the choice between XRP and alternatives like Stellar comes down to individual preferences and assessments of each project's technology, adoption, and governance. While concerns about centralization are valid, it's important to weigh them against other factors and make informed investment decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of the crypto landscape.