All Things XRP Responds to Bitcoin Maximalist Pierre Rochard's Historical Mishap Snippet

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital assets, it's not uncommon to see spirited debates between communities advocating for different cryptocurrencies.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital assets, it’s not uncommon to see spirited debates between communities advocating for different cryptocurrencies. But sometimes, what begins as a technical discussion devolves into tribalism. This is exactly what prompted the latest rebuttal from the All Things XRP community, following a post by Bitcoin advocate Pierre Rochard, who referenced an early quirk in XRP Ledger’s history as a subtle dig at its legitimacy.

In a tweet captioned simply “Sir,” Rochard highlighted a snippet from the XRP Ledger documentation explaining that due to a mishap in the ledger’s early days, the first 32,569 ledgers were lost. As a result, ledger #32,570 is the earliest available on record. The post went on to explain that a reset to index zero would have caused significant disruption, so ledger #32,570 was adopted as the de facto “genesis” ledger.

While factually accurate, the underlying tone of Rochard’s post struck a nerve with many XRP supporters, who saw it not as a technical insight but as yet another veiled jab from the Bitcoin maximalist camp. In response, All Things XRP delivered a powerful and eloquent rebuttal, emphasizing unity, pragmatism, and the need to move past the toxic tribalism that has held the broader crypto community back for far too long.

Beyond Tribalism: Crypto Isn’t a Zero-Sum Game

The All Things XRP response opens with an important reminder: this space is big enough for everyone. Surrounding one project doesn’t have to mean another. Many XRP supporters, including those responding to Rochard, have cheered for Bitcoin’s success from the beginning. Not because they think XRP should be subordinated, but because they see how Bitcoin’s rise lifts the entire industry. A healthy, growing Bitcoin often signals robust investor confidence in crypto as a whole.

🚨⚠️ A RESPONSE TO BITCOIN MAXIS ATTACKING XRP.

I’m all for healthy debate in crypto, but the constant attacks on XRP from folks like @BitcoinPierre need addressing.

I’m rooting for Bitcoin to win. Always have. Why? Because a rising tide lifts all boats. Crypto isn’t a zero-sum… pic.twitter.com.

However, the frequent and often unwarranted attacks on XRP from staunch Bitcoin supporters suggest a different perspective—one rooted in a zero-sum mentality. This scarcity mindset proposes that only one chain can thrive in the long run. Not only is that idea fundamentally flawed, but it’s also dangerous. It inhibits innovation and distracts from the real mission of the crypto movement: building decentralized technologies that solve real-world problems.

No Chain Is Without Flaws

The All Things XRP rebuttal does not shy away from acknowledging XRP Ledger’s early history. Yes, there was a mishap, and yes, the first week’s worth of ledger data is no longer available. But is that reason enough to dismiss the entire project? If historical mishaps disqualify legitimacy, then Bitcoin, too, should be coming under scrutiny.

Take, for instance, Bitcoin’s infamous overflow bug in 2010. Due to a coding error, over 184 billion BTC were minted in a single transaction—an amount massively exceeding Bitcoin’s stiplated total supply cap of 21 million. The bug was quickly patched by members of the community, but it serves as a poignant reminder that no blockchain, no matter how venerated, is perfect. Mistakes happen. What matters is how communities respond and build resilient systems going forward.

XRP has done just that. Despite its early ledger loss, the network operates smoothly today, with all states accurately recorded across versions. Its throughput and resilience are well-documented, and its design is robust enough to serve real-world applications, processing billions of dollars in cross-border payments and enterprise-level transactions globally. It’s a story of adaptation, not failure.

Real-World Adoption Speaks Louder Than Spam Campaigns

Another point of emphasis from the All Things XRP community is XRP’s undeniable traction in institutional circles. Ripple, the leading company building on the XRP Ledger, has forged partnerships with hundreds of financial institutions around the world. Their infrastructure powers a large volume of cross-border payments, remittances, and liquidity provisioning, especially in regions where traditional banking systems are slow or expensive.

It’s easy to mock from the sidelines, but the figures speak for themselves. While critics post sarcastic tweets, Ripple continues to ship products and expand its reach. That’s the essence of technological progress: delivering working code, not just commentary.

Focus on What Unites, Not What Divides

Ultimately, the All Things XRP response calls for a redirection of energy. Instead of perpetuating cycles of ridicule and one-upmanship, the crypto space would benefit far more from collaborative efforts and mutual respect. There’s a vast field of opportunity still to be explored. Layer-1s and layer-2s alike are pushing