A newly resurfaced document has reignited debate in the crypto community: is Ripple actually older than Bitcoin? According to an email thread shared by XRP advocate SMOQE, the answer might be yes—at least from a conceptual standpoint.
The conversation, which dates back to 2014, features several key figures in the crypto space, including journalist Reutzel Bailey, who claimed that Ripple’s original concept began in 2004, years before Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin to the world in 2008.
This revelation has stirred curiosity, but it also raises an important question: if Ripple was conceptualized before Bitcoin, why isn’t it considered the first cryptocurrency?
Ripple’s Roots Trace Back to 2004
According to Bailey, the initial idea behind Ripple was introduced by Ryan Fugger in 2004. Fugger’s goal was to build a decentralized payment system—RipplePay—to enable people to exchange value without relying on traditional banks. At the time, there was no talk of “cryptocurrency” as we know it today. Instead, RipplePay functioned more like a community-based IOU network.
While the platform was innovative, it didn’t gain mainstream attention until much later. That push, according to Bailey, came from Chris Larsen, Ripple’s co-founder, who helped rebrand and promote the platform as a cryptocurrency solution—largely in response to the growing success of Bitcoin.
“I think Larsen pushed this [Ripple] as a cryptocurrency to catch attention because the platform itself was not really about cryptocurrency at all,” Bailey remarked in the email exchange.
“Ripple Predates Bitcoin,” Says Cliff
Another contributor to the email thread, Jeffrey Cliff, emphasized that Ripple wasn’t merely a Bitcoin copycat, arguing instead that it predates Bitcoin entirely. He dismissed the idea that Ripple was created to ride the wave of Bitcoin’s popularity.
While that statement holds some truth, it’s important to draw a distinction: although the Ripple concept was born earlier, the cryptocurrency we now know as XRP wasn’t started until 2012, four years after Bitcoin.
Timeline: Ripple and Bitcoin
To put the timeline in perspective:
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2004: Ryan Fugger start RipplePay as a decentralized payment network.
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2008: Satoshi Nakamoto publishes the Bitcoin whitepaper.
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2009: Bitcoin’s blockchain goes live, and the first coins are mined.
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2011: Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz begin developing what becomes the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
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2012: Ripple starts as a crypto company under the name NewCoin, later OpenCoin, and eventually Ripple. XRP is created.
Despite its earlier origins, Ripple’s transition into the cryptocurrency world didn’t take shape until after Bitcoin had already redefined digital finance.
XRP Ledger: A Better Bitcoin?
The XRP Ledger, developed by McCaleb and his team, was designed to improve on Bitcoin’s limitations—particularly its use of the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which consumes large amounts of energy.
The XRPL instead adopted a more scalable, eco-friendly consensus algorithm. As the new ledger gained momentum, McCaleb approached Ryan Fugger, who eventually handed over RipplePay, allowing the team to transform it into a full-fledged blockchain project.
Later that year, 80 billion XRP were gifted to the Ripple company by the XRPL founders. McCaleb received 9.5 billion XRP, which he agreed to sell over time. His final sell-off was completed in 2022.
While McCaleb later moved on to co-found Stellar, Chris Larsen stayed and currently serves as Ripple’s chairman.
Ripple’s Legacy and Bitcoin’s First-Mover Advantage
So, is Ripple older than Bitcoin? Technically, yes, if one considers the initial RipplePay concept as the company’s origin. But in the context of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin still holds the title of the world’s first.
That’s because Bitcoin introduced the concept of a decentralized, cryptographically secured, peer-to-peer digital currency, which RipplePay never aimed to be in its early form.
While Ripple later adopted crypto and started XRP, it did so after the Bitcoin boom had already begun.
Why This Matters in 2025
The timing of this resurfaced document is no coincidence. With growing momentum around a potential Ripple spot ETF and increased institutional adoption of XRP, community members may be seeking to reinforce Ripple’s credibility and longevity.
This kind of historical framing can help Ripple position itself not just as a top altcoin, but as a pioneer in financial decentralization, even if it doesn’t claim the crypto crown from Bitcoin.
Conclusion
While Ripple’s roots go deeper than many may have thought, Bitcoin still holds its ground as the first true cryptocurrency. The recent revelation adds a fascinating layer to Ripple’s history but doesn’t dethrone Bitcoin’s legacy.
Still, with XRP gaining mainstream traction and Ripple continuing to innovate in cross-border payments and regulatory compliance, its early beginnings only add to its mystique—and potentially its value.
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