XRP News Today: Ripple CTO Admits Faking 2004 Ozzy Osbourne Q&A as OZZY Token Surges 16800% Post-Death

Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has acknowledged fabricating parts of a fan Q&A session with legendary musician Ozzy Osbourne and the band Black Sabbath in 2004. In a post on X, Schwartz admitted to using pre-written questions for band members other than Osbourne and censoring Osbourne’s profanity due to technical limitations. The event, hosted by then-employer WebMaster using its ConferenceRoom software, aimed to relay fan questions in real time but faced logistical challenges. Fans overwhelmingly focused on Osbourne, leaving little interest in Black Sabbath as a group. “I cheated,” Schwartz stated, explaining that he censored expletives and cycled through scripted questions to maintain the illusion of a balanced interaction [1].

The incident, described by Schwartz as a “disillusioning” experience, revealed the difficulty of curating authentic fan engagement during the early internet era. Only two to three genuine questions reached the band, with the rest fabricated using input from Osbourne’s manager. Technical issues further complicated the process, as poor call quality made transcribing Osbourne’s responses—filled with censored language—challenging. “The C-word a lot,” Schwartz noted, referencing Osbourne’s frequent use of the term [1].

The admission resurfaced days after Osbourne’s death at age 76, sparking renewed interest in meme tokens tied to his legacy. One such token, The Mad Man (OZZY), surged over 16,800% following tributes to the musician [1]. Meanwhile, Ripple’s broader legal landscape remains in flux. CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently announced plans to withdraw Ripple’s cross-appeal against the SEC, aligning with expectations that the regulator will also drop its appeal. This follows a court ruling rejecting Ripple’s request to reduce a $125 million civil penalty and overturn the classification of XRP sales as securities [1].

XRP’s notional open interest also hit a record high of $8.8 billion in perpetual futures contracts, according to CoinGlass. The metric reflects nearly 2.9 billion XRP in leveraged positions, surpassing the previous $8.3 billion peak in late January. The surge coincides with ongoing speculation about XRP’s price trajectory, though no analyst forecasts are cited in the provided data [1].

Schwartz’s disclosure highlights the evolving nature of digital interactions, where technical constraints and audience dynamics can shape perceived authenticity. While the Q&A controversy remains a niche historical footnote, its timing with Osbourne’s passing and crypto market movements underscores the intersection of pop culture and financial markets.

Sources: [1] [Ripple CTO Admits He Faked Ozzy Osbourne Fan Q&A: “I Cheated”] [https://cryptonews.com/news/ripple-cto-admits-he-faked-ozzy-osbourne-fan-qa-i-cheated/]