Ripple CTO Says Satoshi Acted as Bitcoin’s Original Issuer
Ripple CTO David Schwartz sparked debate by arguing that Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, functioned as the cryptocurrency’s original issuer. He based this on Satoshi launching the network and mining its early blocks. Schwartz reframed “issuer” to mean those who structure and support a token’s ecosystem. Under that view, exchanges providing XRP markets could be seen as its main issuers, while Ripple’s role narrows under a broader definition. He also noted XRP was “literally worthless” at launch, with no initial trading ecosystem. Speculation that Schwartz might be Satoshi surfaced but was dismissed; he claims to have discovered Bitcoin only in 2011.
Neutral
This announcement centers on conceptual debate rather than market-moving events. Schwartz’s view on Satoshi as issuer clarifies definitions of token issuance, but it introduces no new technology or partnership. Traders are unlikely to shift positions based solely on issuance semantics. Historically, similar opinion pieces (e.g., debates on Ethereum’s initial sale) have had limited impact on price. Expect stable trading activity with minimal volatility in both short and long term.