💡 XRP: a cryptocurrency that appeared before Bitcoin?

Few know that the roots of XRP go back to 2004 — long before Bitcoin emerged. At that time, Ryan Fugger created RipplePay — a prototype of a decentralized payment system. Later, this idea was taken up by Jed McCaleb and Chris Larsen, who founded Ripple Labs in 2012.

Unlike most cryptocurrencies, XRP is not mined — all 100 billion tokens were created in advance. This makes it one of the most energy-efficient assets in the blockchain environment.

XRP is capable of processing over 1500 transactions per second, with a fee of less than 0.0001 XRP. This is why it is actively used by banks: Santander, American Express, and others use XRP as a "bridge currency" for cross-border transfers.

But the path of XRP has not been smooth. Since 2020, Ripple Labs has been fighting with the SEC, which claims that XRP is an unregistered security. The legal battles have affected the price, but have not stopped its development.

Today, XRP is not just a token, but a part of the global financial infrastructure. And its history is an example of how an idea can withstand pressure, transform, and remain relevant.