Ryan Fugger is one of the most underappreciated men in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. Credited as the original creator behind what would become Ripple, Fugger is largely overshadowed by XRP’s official founders.
While Jed McCaleb, Chris Larsen, and Arthur Britto enjoy the lavish spoils of creating Ripple, would the XRP Ledger be anywhere near as successful as it is today without Fugger’s efforts?
Who is Ryan Fugger, Ripple’s ‘original’ creator?
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Who Is Ryan Fugger?
Ryan Fugger is a Canadian software and web developer originally credited with conjuring the idea behind what would later become Ripple. Like many people interested in the crypto industry, Fugger theorized and worked on creating payment networks that weren’t reliant on centralized intermediaries.
However, while decentralized payment processors are commonplace, Fugger’s first foray into the field predates the birth of Bitcoin (BTC). As far back as 2004, Fugger had already begun burning the midnight oil to create a payments network free from the grip of centralized controls.
RipplePay aimed to create a democratic financial system that was more accessible than privatized alternatives. Fugger’s platform used a novel feature called trust lines, which allows users to establish credit relationships with others.
Additional Projects
Beyond RipplePay, Ryan Fugger is lightly involved in the cryptocurrency industry in several advisory positions within other blockchain companies. According to his Crunchbase profile, Ryan Fugger serves as a Technical Advisor for Acquicent, as well as advising Bluzelle in their management of initial coin offerings (ICOs).
Ryan Fugger and Ripple
In RipplePay’s early stages (before cryptocurrency even existed), the platform functioned as a financial service for online communities. Without knowing it, Fugger’s vision of a decentralized and trust-based monetary system set the foundation for Ripple’s eventual takeover.
Sponsored
His approach was revolutionary but relatively unknown and uncelebrated. It focused on a peer-to-peer trust network that operated without central intermediaries, a concept that would later become a fundamental value within the crypto space.
Despite its ambitious goals, RipplePay failed to find much traction in the real world. Despite this, RipplePay was discovered and analyzed by Jed McCaleb, Chris Larsen, and Arthur Britto. Seeing the platform’s potential, the future Ripple Labs founders wasted no time proposing a buyout, effectively taking the reins from Ryan Fugger.
In 2012, the deal was signed, and Fugger entrusted the platform to Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and Ripple’s CTO, David Schwartz. XRP’s co-founders reimagined RipplePay’s infrastructure, leading to the creation of the XRP Ledger. For a brief period, the business was also rebranded to OpenCoin before rebranding a second time to Ripple Labs shortly after.
Is Ryan Fugger the Real Ripple Architect?
While it’s easy to get carried away and believe that Ryan Fugger is the true architect behind Ripple (XRP), this is a great exaggeration. Fugger may have begun developing decentralized payment systems long before Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), and other cryptocurrencies were invented, but his involvement in creating XRP is inconsequential.
Fugger may have laid the foundation, but XRP wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful as it is today without the efforts of Jed McCaleb and David Schwartz. McCaleb and Schwartz are the masterminds who brought the XRP Ledger to life.
Ryan Fugger may have laid the base of a decentralized credit network, but integrating blockchain technology into the Ripple ecosystem wouldn’t have been possible without Schwartz and McCaleb’s input.
On the Flipside
- After handing Ripple development over to more capable hands, Fugger remained a somewhat active developer. Fugger’s 𝕏 account records indicate that he supported proposed Bitcoin forks and Ethereum developments.
Why This Matters
Despite his input into Ripple’s development being exaggerated, Fugger is still a crucial part of Ripple’s history that shouldn’t be overlooked.
FAQs
The Ripple XRP cryptocurrency was invented by founders Jed McCaleb, Chris Larsen, and Arthur Britto. However, it’s worth mentioning that these founders originally acquired the RipplePay platform from Ryan Fugger in 2012.
XRP claims to be a decentralized cryptocurrency. However, this is up for debate, given that the platform is backed by Ripple Labs, which holds most XRP tokens.
Ripple Labs is a fintech company specializing in blockchain technology and creating a cross-border payments network for financial institutions.
