Ripple's early vision predates Bitcoin, according to resurfaced documents. Meanwhile, stablecoins challenge XRP's utility. What's the future?
Yo, crypto fam! Let's break down the latest drama in the Ripple vs. Bitcoin saga, with a side of stablecoin realness. Turns out, some old emails are stirring up the past, while the present is all about stablecoins shaking things up.
Ripple's Pre-Bitcoin Roots: The Email Scoop
Word on the street (or should we say, on Twitter) is that Ripple's origins go way back. We're talking 2004, people! According to emails from 2014 dug up by the XRP community, the concept of RipplePay, a system for moving value without banks, was kicking around years before Bitcoin even dropped its whitepaper in 2008. Tech writer Reutzel Bailey and industry insider Jeffrey Cliff chime in, hinting that Ripple's blueprint was in the works before the OG Bitcoin block was mined in 2009. So, was Ripple the real pioneer of digital value transfer?
Ryan Fugger's RipplePay aimed to speed up payments between trusted parties using digital trust, not mining. A small group of validators approved transactions, making it fast but private. It wasn’t until 2011 that developers considered an open network for validating deals. Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz coded the XRP Ledger, launching XRP in 2012. McCaleb, Larsen, and others launched NewCoin, renamed OpenCoin in 2013 and Ripple in 2015.
Stablecoins Stealing XRP's Thunder?
But hold up, it's not all about the past. BitGo CEO Mike Belshe threw some shade at Ripple's XRP at the Digital Banking 2025 summit. He basically said XRP's bridge currency model is ancient history compared to stablecoins. Why swap dollars for XRP, then XRP for pesos, when USD stablecoins do the job better? Ouch! Ripple launching its own stablecoin, RLUSD, kinda proves his point. RLUSD, launched in December after DFS approval, has been added to Ripple’s payment suite and is approaching US$450M in supply.
The Bitcoin Side: Ethereum Taking the Stage
While all this Ripple-Bitcoin history is unfolding, Bit Digital is making moves, ditching Bitcoin mining to focus on Ethereum staking. As of March 31, Bit Digital held 24,434.2 ETH (valued at $44.6 million) and 417.6 BTC (worth $34.5 million) and plans to convert remaining BTC into ETH.
My Two Satoshis
Look, the documents are interesting, but it's the present that matters. Stablecoins *are* eating into XRP's use case. It’s hard to argue against Belshe's point about efficiency. Ripple needs to evolve beyond just being a payment rail. They need to double down on innovation to stay relevant in this rapidly changing landscape. XRP needs SPOT ETFs, XRPFi, XRP Treasury Strategies and more Innovators & Builders.
The Takeaway
So, what's the bottom line? Ripple has a rich history, potentially pre-dating Bitcoin's official launch. But the game is changing. Stablecoins are the new kids on the block, and they're not playing nice. Ripple needs to bring the heat. Bitcoin needs to hold its own. Otherwise, they might get left in the dust. Crypto never sleeps, and neither should you! Peace out!
