Where is an XRP Ledger NFT’s image stored?

Not on the ledger. The NFT holds a link of up to 256 bytes, usually to a metadata file that in turn links to the image, most often on IPFS.

Can NFT metadata be changed after minting?

The file a link points to can change if it sits on an ordinary web server. The link itself can change only if the NFT was minted as mutable, and then only by its issuer.

What metadata format do XRP Ledger NFTs use?

XLS-24, a community standard with the fields name, description, image and attributes, among others. Marketplaces read those fields to show the art and its traits.

Insights

XRPL NFT Metadata & IPFS Storage Guide

An NFT on the XRP Ledger carries a link, not its art: up to 256 bytes pointing at a metadata file with the name, description, image and traits. Where that file lives decides whether the NFT still shows its art years from now.

The link and the file

When an NFT is minted, its URI field takes the link. The metadata file it points to follows a shared format so every marketplace reads it the same way; on the XRP Ledger that format is XLS-24 (XRPL Standards). Its own example, trimmed:

{
  "schema": "ipfs://QmNpi8rcXEkohca8iXu7zysKKSJYqCvBJn3xJwga8jXqWU",
  "nftType": "art.v0",
  "name": "ART NFT #0",
  "description": "An Art NFT with all properties supported by the art.v0 schema.",
  "image": "ipfs://QmcCST9U9qwJwuBxZyTJ6ePvdJHrub7yPkAcNeCKZQ3trn",
  "collection": { "name": "XLS-24D Examples", "family": "X-Tokenize Example NFTS" },
  "attributes": [
    { "trait_type": "Background", "description": "A dark background.", "value": "Black" }
  ]
}

The image is a second link, usually to IPFS as well. The traits in attributes are what rarity rankings are built from.

Where to store the files

IPFS (ipfs://…)	The link is the file’s fingerprint, so nobody can swap the file behind it. It stays available only while someone keeps a copy online (pins it).
Arweave	Paid once to be stored for good by its network.
An ordinary web server	Whoever runs the server can change or remove the file, and the NFT then shows something else, or nothing.
On the ledger itself	Only what fits in the 256-byte link: a very small image or a few fields of text.

What XRP Ledger creators actually chose, and how often each choice broke: minting an NFT that keeps its art.

What breaks NFTs

Nobody keeps the IPFS file online. The link stays valid but returns nothing. Keep your own copy pinned, ideally in more than one place.
The web server goes away. A link to an ordinary domain dies with the domain.
A gateway address instead of an IPFS link. A link written as one company’s IPFS gateway URL depends on that company; ipfs:// does not.
Fields under other names. Metadata that does not use the standard’s field names shows without traits, or without its image.

How xrpl.to reads it

xrpl.to follows each NFT’s link to its metadata and image on IPFS, Arweave or the web, keeps a copy of the image so pages load fast, and reads the traits for filters and rarity. An NFT whose link no longer answers shows without art: the link is still on the ledger, the file behind it is gone.

Questions

Where is an XRP Ledger NFT’s image stored?: Not on the ledger. The NFT holds a link of up to 256 bytes, usually to a metadata file that in turn links to the image, most often on IPFS.
Can NFT metadata be changed after minting?: The file a link points to can change if it sits on an ordinary web server. The link itself can change only if the NFT was minted as mutable, and then only by its issuer.
What metadata format do XRP Ledger NFTs use?: XLS-24, a community standard with the fields name, description, image and attributes, among others. Marketplaces read those fields to show the art and its traits.