Arthur Britto, the mysterious co-founder of the XRP Ledger, recently posted a cryptic post on X for the first time in almost 14 years, sparking speculation that a major XRP announcement could be imminent.

Arthur Britto Breaks His Silence

Britto posted for the first time on the X social media platform on Monday for the first time since creating the account in August 2011. The cryptic post features an emoji of a face without a mouth, which typically suggests speechlessness.

Some X users questioned whether his account had been compromised. However, Ripple CTO David Schwartz, Britto’s long-time collaborator, clarified that the post was real and ruled out a hacking incident.

“I can confirm this was not a hack or compromise,” he noted.

Britto created the decentralized, open-source XRP Ledger (XRPL) alongside Schwartz and Mt. Gox founder Jed McCaleb and launched it in 2012. He later helped add XRP, a digital asset designed for fast, low-cost global payments that serves as the native cryptocurrency of the XRPL.

Britto also co-created NewCoin alongside Schwartz, McCaleb, and Chris Larsen, which was later renamed to OpenCoin before finally rebranding as Ripple. A recently leaked agreement reveals that Britto received 2% of the total supply of XRP (formerly “Ripple Credits”).    

However, despite his significant contribution, Britto has remained largely out of the limelight. He has never given interviews, appeared in photographs, or participated in public forums, making him one of the most mysterious figures in the crypto space, akin to the pseudonymous Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto. In fact, some crypto community members think Britto is Satoshi.

What Britto’s Return Could Mean For XRP

Britto’s post sparked speculation among XRP fans about what his potential return could mean. Prominent commentator John Squire pointed out the Ripple co-founder’s strategic timing, asserting that it coincides with several key developments, including record on-chain volume.

Speculation around Ripple’s initial public offering (IPO) prospects and pre-bull market conditions further signals a pattern. 

“Bullrun confirmed? Too early to say. But Arthur Britto doesn’t casually drop breadcrumbs. When someone this silent speaks… You listen,” Squire added.

Others highlighted Britto’s past ambitious assertion that XRP is “designed” to be worth $10,000 per token and should scale to 8 billion users, making it the core protocol for a truly inclusive global financial system.

“Perhaps a signal. XRP is reaching its moment. The global shift towards digital payments, CBDCs, and stablecoins is aligning with the original vision. The #XRPLedger is closer than ever to serving billions,” said another X user.

It’s also worth mentioning that Britto’s return comes as Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission await a court ruling on their joint motion to advance the settlement process and wrap up the years-long legal drama.

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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ June 24, 2025 3:10 pm