Former Ripple Director: XRP Ledger Was Built as a Scalable Bitcoin Alternative 15 Years Ago
A debate over Bitcoin’s scalability reignited on X (formerly Twitter) after Metallicus CEO and early Bitcoin developer Marshall Hayner said Bitcoin still lacks a fully decentralized, scalable implementation. Former Ripple director Matt Hamilton responded that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) was created by early Bitcoin developers around 2011 to solve Bitcoin’s limits on speed, fees and transaction capacity. The article recalls Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto and David Schwartz co-creating XRPL (McCaleb later co-founding Ripple/OpenCoin and then Stellar). Critics dispute XRPL’s decentralization despite independent validators and claim corporate influence; proponents argue XRPL offers real-world utility and growing institutional credibility — citing Franklin Templeton and a high-profile $25m XRP investment by trader James Wynn. The piece frames the ongoing rivalry between Bitcoin and XRP communities, notes renewed institutional interest in XRP, and highlights that opinions remain divided over whether XRPL complements or competes with Bitcoin. (Keywords: XRP Ledger, Bitcoin scalability, XRPL decentralization, institutional interest, Jed McCaleb)
Neutral
The news is neutral for market direction. It highlights renewed debate and institutional interest in XRP but contains no immediate market-moving facts such as regulatory rulings, large exchange listings/delistings, or major on-chain flows. Positive elements: renewed narrative that XRPL was designed to solve Bitcoin’s scalability, mentions of institutional credibility (Franklin Templeton) and a $25m investment by a known trader — these can support medium- to long-term bullish sentiment for XRP. Negative/neutral elements: repeated questions about XRPL decentralization and corporate influence keep investor skepticism alive. Historically, narrative-driven reports and endorsements can produce short-term price spikes and higher volume for the token mentioned, while lasting price appreciation requires sustained adoption, product releases, or regulatory clarity. Expect potential short-term volatility and interest in XRP (increased searches, on-chain activity, and trading volume) but no guaranteed directional move; longer-term impact depends on follow-up institutional actions or technical developments.