XRP News Today: Ripple Co-Founder Chris Larsen Reveals XRP's Mission To Build A Better Bitcoin

Chris Larsen, co-founder and former CEO of Ripple, recently reflected on the origins and purpose of XRP. In a statement, he said, “In the beginning, we wanted to build a better Bitcoin… and we created XRP.” This statement underscores Ripple’s founding vision and how it diverged from Bitcoin’s path to address real-world financial needs.

Larsen joined Ripple in 2012, shortly after the XRP Ledger was developed by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto. The goal was to overcome Bitcoin’s limitations, particularly its slow transaction speeds, high energy consumption, and scalability issues. Larsen brought a compelling business vision to the table, seeing the potential to turn this new technology into the foundation of a company focused on modernizing global finance.

Unlike Bitcoin, which was envisioned as an alternative to traditional financial systems, Ripple took a collaborative approach. The mission wasn’t to replace banks, but to work with them. XRP was positioned as a bridge currency, enabling faster, cheaper, and more reliable cross-border payments. Ripple’s enterprise tools, including xCurrent and xRapid, used the XRP Ledger’s speed and efficiency to facilitate instant settlement across fiat currencies. XRP served as the liquidity solution, moving value between parties in seconds, eliminating the need for pre-funded accounts and costly intermediaries.

This approach allowed Ripple to build real partnerships with financial institutions across the globe, transforming XRP from just another cryptocurrency into a cornerstone of institutional blockchain adoption. Today, more than a decade later, the XRP Ledger continues to deliver on its original promise. It remains one of the fastest and most energy-efficient blockchains in existence. Beyond payments, the ledger now supports stablecoins like RLUSD, asset tokenization, and Ethereum-compatible smart contracts through its EVM sidechain.

Ripple’s global presence has also grown. The company has secured regulatory licenses across major financial jurisdictions and continues to play a central role in blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Xaif’s resurfacing of Larsen’s quote is more than nostalgia; it’s a timely reminder of XRP’s mission. The idea of “building a better Bitcoin” was never about rivalry; it was about evolution. Thanks to the technical innovation of its creators and the strategic leadership of Larsen, XRP was purpose-built for real-world finance. And over a decade later, that purpose is more relevant than ever.