Crypto analyst Edo Farina just shared a thread on X that got a lot of people talking about Ripple and XRP – not just for what it’s doing now, but for how deep its roots might actually go.
Most people know Ripple as the company that launched in the early 2010s. But according to Farina, the idea behind it started much earlier. He points out that RipplePay, an early version of the network, was created in 2004 by Ryan Fugger. Even more surprising, a trademark for “Ripple Communications” goes all the way back to 1991.
That’s more than two decades before Bitcoin.
Farina claims Ryan Fugger isn’t just a tech developer – he’s linked to the Fugger family, one of the most powerful banking dynasties in Europe during the 16th century. Jakob Fugger, a key figure in that family, was once called “the richest man who ever lived.” The Fuggers financed royalty, controlled major silver and copper mines, and even had influence over the Pope.
The Economist Cover Unveiled: The Long Line of Bankers Behind @RippleRipple didn’t start in 2012. It began with Ryan Fugger in 2004 through RipplePay. But the real story goes even deeper, the trademark "Ripple Communications" dates back to 1991, with Ryan Fugger already… pic.twitter.com/vnnl7Ort1a
— EDO FARINA 🅧 XRP (@edward_farina) July 6, 2025
Their reach went far beyond Germany. Some say their business practices helped shape modern banking systems, even paving the way for institutions like HSBC.
But it gets even more interesting. The Fuggers used two symbols on their coins the phoenix and the fleur-de-lis. These same symbols appear on The Economist’s 1988 cover that predicted a future world currency. That famous image showed a phoenix rising from the ashes of fiat currencies, wearing a coin labeled 2018. Some XRP fans see this as more than just a coincidence.
Farina believes XRP was never meant to be just another altcoin. He calls it part of a long-term plan – one that could reshape the way global money moves. Whether you believe that or not, it’s clear the XRP story goes back further than most people realize.
Still, it’s important not to get too carried away. These historical connections are fascinating, but they don’t mean XRP is guaranteed to take over global finance. What matters today is how Ripple continues to grow, push for regulatory clarity, and build real-world use cases.
But it’s definitely worth noting: XRP’s past might be longer – and more interesting – than we thought.
Read also: Will a $10,000 XRP Break the Ledger It Was Built On? Some Say Yes, Others Disagree
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The post Is XRP Part of a Century-Old Banking Plan? Ripple’s Past Gets a Closer Look appeared first on CaptainAltcoin.
