Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has finally addressed a lingering question in the crypto community: Was the company named after the Grateful Dead's famous song "Ripple"?
The Origin of the Name "Ripple"
In a recent discussion on X (formerly Twitter), Schwartz clarified the naming inspiration when a user asked if Ripple took its name from the Grateful Dead's 1970 hit.
The CTO responded:
"Somewhat. I think if we weren't able to get the domain ripple.com, we likely wouldn't have chosen the name Ripple. We got the domain because a great guy who was a Dead fan registered it because of the song and he liked the company."
Schwartz's explanation reveals that while the song wasn't the direct inspiration, the availability of the ripple.com domain—originally owned by a Grateful Dead enthusiast who supported the project—played a crucial role in the final decision.
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The Evolution of Ripple: A Brief History
Early Days of XRP Ledger Development
In 2011, David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto began developing the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Their goal was to create a distributed ledger that improved upon Bitcoin's limitations. The initial codebase was named "Ripple."
Launch and Company Formation
The XRP Ledger went live in June 2012. Soon after, Chris Larsen joined the team, and in September 2012, they founded NewCoin, later rebranded as OpenCoin.
Transition to Ripple Labs
By 2013, OpenCoin relaunched as Ripple Labs. As the project grew, the team faced questions about the distinction between the Ripple protocol and OpenCoin the company. With the community already referring to the digital asset as XRP, the company officially rebranded to Ripple Labs, later shortened to simply Ripple.
Ripple's Recent Milestones
Ripple continues to expand its regulatory footprint. Recently, the company applied for a national bank charter in the United States, following similar moves by industry leaders like Circle.
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FAQs About Ripple
Was Ripple directly named after the Grateful Dead song?
No, but the availability of the ripple.com domain—owned by a Dead fan—played a key role in the naming decision.
Who founded Ripple?
David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto initiated the XRP Ledger, later joined by Chris Larsen.
What was Ripple originally called?
The company began as NewCoin, then OpenCoin, before rebranding to Ripple Labs in 2013.
Why did Ripple apply for a U.S. bank charter?
This move aims to strengthen regulatory compliance and expand financial services offerings.
What is the relationship between Ripple and XRP?
Ripple develops solutions using the XRP Ledger, while XRP is the native digital asset of the XRPL.
Key Takeaways
- The ripple.com domain availability influenced the company's name.
- Ripple evolved from OpenCoin after community adoption of XRP.
- Recent regulatory moves include applying for a U.S. bank charter.
By understanding Ripple's naming history and development journey, we gain insight into how branding and community support shape blockchain projects.