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What Is a Trust Line?

What Is a Trust Line?​

On Stellar and the XRP Ledger, your account can't hold a token until you opt in to it. That opt-in is called a trust line: a record on the network that says your account accepts a specific token from a specific issuer, such as Circle's USDC on Stellar or Ripple's RLUSD on the XRP Ledger.

The network coins, XLM and XRP, don't need a trust line. Only tokens do.

Why Trust Lines Exist​

  • No unwanted tokens. Nobody can send you a token you haven't accepted, which cuts down on spam.
  • The issuer matters. Two tokens can share a name, such as USDC, but only the one from the issuer you trust can arrive. Always check the issuer.

If someone sends you a token you don't have a trust line for, the transfer fails and the token stays with the sender.

How Much a Trust Line Costs​

A trust line isn't a fee you lose. It locks a small reserve in your account for as long as the trust line exists:

NetworkReserve per trust lineAccount's own minimum
XRP Ledger0.2 XRP1 XRP
Stellar0.5 XLM1 XLM

The reserve stays in your balance but can't be spent. When you send with Max, Gem Wallet keeps it back for you. Adding the trust line also costs a tiny network fee. See What is the XRP Reserve Fee? and What are Minimum Balance Requirements for Blockchains?

When Gem Wallet Adds a Trust Line​

  • Activating a token on the XRP Ledger. When you enable a token such as RLUSD, Gem Wallet asks you to Activate Asset, which adds its trust line. See How to Add and Activate an XRP Asset on Gem Wallet.
  • Swapping into a token you don't hold yet. A swap on the Stellar DEX or the XRP Ledger DEX adds the trust line in the same transaction, so it happens in one step. See What are Swap Providers?

Until a token is activated, its screen doesn't offer Buy, Swap, or Receive actions, because the account can't receive it yet.

note

Some cross-chain routes, such as Bridgers swaps to RLUSD, need the trust line to exist before you swap. Without it, no quote appears. Activate the token first.

Before You Receive a Token​

  1. Check which network the sender uses: Stellar or the XRP Ledger.
  2. Make sure the token is activated in Gem Wallet, with a trust line for the right issuer.
  3. Keep enough XLM or XRP for the reserve and network fees.