Uphold offers a beginner-friendly interface.
There are currently 36 validators, and Ripple runs 6 of them—16%.
The target was somehow achieved.
The blockchain allows anyone to contribute computing power, validate transactions, and secure its software.
Anyone can be a validator, and active validators on the ledger today include universities, exchanges and financial institutions.
It both facilitates transactions and provides the mechanism by which new currency is introduced into a cryptocurrency system—typically as a reward to verifiers for their work supporting the network.