Ripple is based around a shared public ledger,the XRP Ledger, which uses a consensus process that allows for payments, exchanges and remittance in a distributed process. The network can operate without the Ripple company;among its validators are companies, internet service providers, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Bitcoin has been criticized for its use in illegal transactions, its high electricity consumption, price volatility, thefts from exchanges, and the possibility that bitcoin is an economic bubble. Bitcoin has also been used as an investment, although several regulatory agencies have issued investor alerts about bitcoin.