XRP Origins Clarified: Payment Concept Predates Bitcoin

Ripple's former Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, clarified the origins of XRP. A payment concept by Ryan Fugger in 2004 predated Bitcoin's creation by five years. However, the XRP token and XRP Ledger were launched in 2012, three years after Bitcoin's inception.

The key difference between Fugger's design and Bitcoin is that it was a trust-based credit network without decentralized assets or a native token. This sets it apart from Bitcoin's open bearer assets secured by proof of work.

This distinction is important because it separates the idea behind XRP from the actual cryptocurrency, which came later. Meanwhile, Ripple is expanding its regulatory presence in Europe with MiCA approval, signaling growth beyond the origins debate.