- XRP is in the spotlight after Ripple CTO David Schwartz claimed Satoshi Nakamoto once held “huge amounts of XRP,” sparking fresh speculation about the crypto’s origins.
- Despite Satoshi’s disappearance around 2011 and no Ripple token wallet activity from that time, some believe the Ripple token aligns closely with Satoshi’s original vision of fast, low-fee transactions.
- Early Ripple team members were also early Bitcoin contributors, and Satoshi praised RipplePay in 2009, fueling theories of a deeper connection between the Ripple token and Bitcoin.
XRP is back in the crypto headlines after a shocking revelation relating to Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. One recently reactivated court file shows Ripple CTO David Schwartz claiming Satoshi had “huge amounts of XRP.”
He said this in reply to a question comparing Ripple’s control of the Ripple token to how it is distributed for Bitcoin. Schwartz explained it was difficult to know how it was distributed back in the past for Bitcoin, either, so perhaps Satoshi himself had an enormous supply of Ripple tokens back then.
His unexpected reply, specifically mentioning the year 2017, has again heightened speculation and curiosity amongst crypto enthusiasts. Twitter user Tiffany Hayden sarcastically retweeted with “How many XRP did Satoshi hold? Did you say this and no one noticed?” and Schwartz humorously replied, “What was the question?” to create humor throughout the community.
XRP Holding Strong Amid Satoshi Identity Speculation
Despite this fact, it is also good to realize that Satoshi vanished from the cryptocurrency universe between 2010 and 2011 and has no evidence of XRP wallet activity after this time. Schwartz’s thesis is speculative and not conclusive.
David Schwartz has frequently been speculated to be the unknown creator of Bitcoin but has clarified that he only began to deal with Bitcoin in approximately 2011. The whitepaper of Bitcoin was released in 2008, and the network was initiated in 2009, but not much is known of Satoshi’s true identity.
Suggesting Ripple token is on point with Satoshi’s vision is not a novel point. Its greatest advocate was once overheard to remark that the Ripple token most accurately captures Satoshi’s original intent. Ripple token enthusiasts think it remedied all of Bitcoin’s evils – astronomical fees, slow speed of throughput, and centralization issues.
Community member Alex Cobb also suggested that Satoshi may have been involved in the development of the Ripple token. He used Satoshi’s last known message in April 2011, “I’ve moved on to other things,” to posit that XRP, which was released a year later, was maybe among them.
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XRP and Bitcoin Link Fueled by Early Ripple Praise
While there is no concrete evidence to support it, it is no surprise to see that early Ripple team members were also early contributors to Bitcoin.
Further, 2009 emails reflect how Satoshi also praised the original Ripple proposal, i.e., RipplePay of 2004, for disseminating trust, but misconstrued it with the much later released Ripple token.
Some analysts point to Satoshi’s vanishing act in 2011 and XRP’s release shortly thereafter, and some current actions, such as Arthur Britto’s comeback and activity in aged Bitcoin wallets, to wonder if there is a possible link between Bitcoin’s founders and the Ripple token.
Although none of these claims is proven to be correct, David Schwartz’s comments reopened one of crypto’s most fascinating debates: are Ripple tokens and Bitcoin linked on a deeper level?
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