$XRP Arthur Britto, the enigmatic co-founder of the popular Ripple project, broke his silence for the first time in 14 years by posting on the social network X. This person, known as a 'ghost' in the crypto industry, appeared in the public space for the first time since creating an account in August 2011.
The post was quite succinct — Britto shared an emoji of a face without a mouth, which typically symbolizes loss of speech or inability to say something. However, the meaning of this symbol can vary depending on the context.
Confirmation of authenticity from a colleague
David Schwartz, another co-founder of Ripple, quickly confirmed on X that Britto's account publication 'was not a result of hacking or account compromise.' This statement was made very timely, as many could have doubted the authenticity of the post.
Britto is known as one of the creators of the XRP Ledger, launched in 2012, along with Schwartz and Mt. Gox founder Jed McCaleb. Later, the team added the XRP token to the blockchain, which is now trading at $2.18.
From NewCoin to Ripple Labs
In addition to creating the technological foundation, Britto was involved in founding the company NewCoin along with Schwartz, McCaleb, and Chris Larsen. The company underwent several rebrandings — first becoming OpenCoin, and then finally being named Ripple Labs. After that, Britto took on the role of advisor.
But the main feature of Britto lies in his status as a 'ghost.' Over the years of the company's existence, not a single confirmed photograph of this person has emerged. He has never given interviews, made public statements, and, apparently, makes every effort to remain in the shadows.
Currently, Britto is listed as the founder and president of PolySign, a company developing blockchain infrastructure. Business documents from the cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp show that he served as the company director from May 2014 to September 2015.
Legal disputes and conflicts
Britto's name appears in documents of several court cases in the U.S., including the lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Ripple Labs. However, the mentions are limited to the fact of his participation in the creation of XRP.
In 2015, Britto himself filed a lawsuit against McCaleb in a California court, accusing him of breaching a contract. The dispute concerned McCaleb's creation of the Stellar platform — Britto claimed that he copied Ripple's code.
Britto's elusiveness has spawned conspiracy theories suggesting that such a person does not exist at all. However, many have confirmed his reality, explaining his desire to stay in the shadows.
'He is a separate and independent person. But he is an extremely reclusive person,' Schwartz wrote in November on X, responding to a question about the entrepreneur.
Influence on XRP price
XRP demonstrated an 8.1% increase over the last 24 hours. The token reached a low of $1.97 on Monday, an hour after Britto's post, but then rose to around $2.20.
However, this movement coincided with the overall market recovery amid renewed optimism regarding a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Therefore, it is difficult to establish a direct connection between the post and the price increase.
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