Ripple CEO Bridges the Gap: ’Bitcoin and XRP Aren’t Rivals—They’re Allies’

In a surprise twist, Ripple’s chief executive throws water on the crypto community’s favorite pastime—tribalism—arguing Bitcoin and XRP holders are fighting the same battle.

Forget ’maxis’ versus ’degenerates.’ The real enemy? Legacy finance dragging its feet on blockchain adoption while collecting overdraft fees.

Garlinghouse Reacts, Urges Unity in Crypto Industry    Taking to X, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse shed light on the rationale behind the donation. For context, critics have previously used the ’Skull of Satoshi’ to criticize Bitcoin’s high-energy consumption proof-of-work algorithm.  https://twitter.com/bgarlinghouse/status/1927679999462519191   However, Garlinghouse indicated that the skull currently serves as a tribute to Bitcoin’s "incredible staying power" among many enthusiasts, including himself.  As crypto gains mainstream adoption, Garlinghouse urged the broader crypto community to set aside its differences and collaborate on moving the industry to greater heights.  He expects Ripple’s gesture to serve as a reminder to everyone that the industry’s communities, including bitcoin and XRP, have more in common than they realize.  Per the commentary, Ripple’s CEO suggests that the Skull of Satoshi should serve as a reminder that all crypto communities share common goals, like financial inclusion, regulatory clarity, and innovation.  He argues that uniting around these objectives, rather than engaging in counterproductive rivalry, is imperative to moving the industry forward.  Bitcoin and XRP Communities Feud  The Bitcoin and XRP camps have been at loggerheads with each other over the past few years. Both camps sometimes take things to the extreme, including hurling insults at prominent stakeholders.  In January, they had a serious clash over the United States’ crypto strategic reserve initiative. Pierre Rochard, the VP of research at Riots Platform, claimed that XRP and Ripple are the major obstacles toward the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) in the U.S.  Specifically, he alleged that Ripple was lobbying against SBR, as it had done with Bitcoin mining under the Biden administration. However, Garlinghouse refuted this claim, clarifying that Ripple is more supportive of a multi-coin reserve rather than one built around a particular coin.  Although this feud has waned over the past few months, Ripple donated the Skull of Satoshi to the Bitcoin community as a peace offering while calling for unity within the global industry.