I received a flood of messages asking what I think about this supposed attempt by Ripple ($XRP) to buy Circle...

My view? If Circle is really for sale, Coinbase has a much better chance of acquiring it, even if Ripple has made a higher offer. The reason? Regulatory issues. It would be practically impossible to approve such a transaction without triggering antitrust alarms, as this would give Ripple disproportionate power over a critical infrastructure of the entire crypto ecosystem.

And let's be honest...

Ripple's leadership has never shown much concern for the ecosystem as a whole.

It's no secret that they often spread FUD about other legitimate projects — and, many times, they don't even take good care of their own asset.

We can no longer pretend we don't see.

This is not a critique of the XRP project, its technology, or purpose. It is a direct critique of how its leadership operates behind the scenes. And those who have been in this market longer know very well what I am talking about.

Let's maintain a critical eye and not fall for easy narratives.