David Schwartz, Ripple's CTO Emeritus, has clarified the origins of XRP, confirming that a precursor payment network concept existed in 2004, five years before Bitcoin, but that XRP itself did not. Responding to a claim that XRP predated Bitcoin by decades, Schwartz drew a sharp line between an early concept by Ryan Fugger and the actual XRP token. Fugger's 2004 design was a trust-based credit network called RipplePay, which lacked decentralized assets or a native token. Bitcoin introduced open bearer assets via proof of work in 2009, while the XRP Ledger and XRP token launched in 2012, three years after Bitcoin. Schwartz emphasized that a concept is not a coin, and the distinction matters for historical accuracy. The debate reflects a pattern in crypto where ideas are conflated with their execution. Meanwhile, XRP trades near $1, and Ripple has expanded into Europe via MiCA approval in Luxembourg.

Key facts

• David Schwartz confirms a 2004 concept by Ryan Fugger predates Bitcoin, but XRP launched in 2012.
• Fugger's RipplePay was a trust-based credit network, lacking decentralized assets or a native token.
• XRP Ledger and XRP token went live three years after Bitcoin's 2009 genesis block.
• Schwartz emphasizes distinguishing an idea from execution to avoid historical inaccuracies.
• Ripple expands into Europe with MiCA approval via a Luxembourg license.

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