The **XRP** currency is the native currency of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), which launched from open-source code in 2012 ([investopedia.com][1]). Here is a comprehensive and documented breakdown about it:
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## ⚙️ Overview and Foundation
* The **XRP Ledger** was developed in 2011–2012 by **David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto**.
* In 2012, the XRP currency was launched simultaneously ([investopedia.com][1]).
* Later, **Chris Larsen** joined them, and the company **OpenCoin** was formed, which was renamed to **Ripple Labs (Ripple)** in 2015 ([investopedia.com][1]).
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## 🏢 The Company and Supporters
* Ripple is based in **San Francisco**, and has over 1,100 employees worldwide (2023) ([en.wikipedia.org][2]).
* It received financial support of over **$296 million** through investment rounds from major investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures, Banco Santander, Standard Chartered, SBI Holdings, and others ([thestandard.io][3]).
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## 💰 Revenue and Funding
* Ripple raised approximately **$1.2–1.25 billion** through XRP sales between 2016 and 2020 ([thestandard.io][3]).
* It also generates revenue from **RippleNet** financial transfer services and software sales and enterprise services ([thestandard.io][3]).
* It was noted that XRP revenues exceeded $1 billion from sales alone, while some sources criticize its reliance on that.
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## 🛠️ Completed and Future Projects
* **XRP Ledger (XRPL)**: An open decentralized blockchain that supports fast transactions in seconds at very low cost ([xrpl.org][4]).
* **RippleNet**: A platform for global money transfers that uses XRP as a bridge currency to provide instant liquidity.
* **Financing Operation**
