XRP: Ripple CTO Reveals Story Behind Company Name

The XRP community has long speculated about the inspiration behind Ripple’s name, and now, Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has finally addressed the mystery, shedding light on a lesser-known chapter of Ripple’s early days.

During a recent conversation on X (formerly known as Twitter), Schwartz responded to a user’s inquiry about whether Ripple’s name was influenced by the Grateful Dead’s iconic 1970 song “Ripple.” His answer revealed that the company name’s origin was more pragmatic and domain-driven than nostalgic.

Schwartz noted that while the suggestion was partially true, the true deciding factor in selecting “Ripple” hinged on the availability of the ripple.com domain. He explained, “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.”

This candid explanation clarifies that the name wasn’t officially tied to the song, but a fortunate coincidence involving a fan of both the Grateful Dead and the company’s mission led to Ripple acquiring the perfect branding at the perfect time.

The backstory ties into Ripple’s foundational history. It was in 2011 when David Schwartz, alongside Jed McCaleb and Arthur Britto, began laying the groundwork for what would become the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a blockchain technology designed to improve upon Bitcoin’s limitations. Initially, their codebase was dubbed “Ripple,” a name they could comfortably adopt thanks to domain availability.

In mid-2012, the XRP Ledger officially launched. Soon after, fintech entrepreneur Chris Larsen joined forces with the development team. By September of that year, the group founded a firm called NewCoin, which would later evolve through a branding journey of its own. Known afterward as OpenCoin, the organization began shaping its identity in parallel with the growth of the Ripple protocol.

As Ripple engaged with early customers and explained their technological offerings, it became evident that the Ripple network and the OpenCoin brand created confusion. The XRP asset had begun gaining traction as the community’s focal point. This growing association led company leadership to realign their branding around the Ripple identity to unify the protocol, the company, and the XRP digital asset in the public eye. Thus, OpenCoin was rebranded to Ripple Labs in 2013, and eventually shortened simply to “Ripple.”

Ripple has continued to evolve and expand since those formative years. Now operating at the intersection of blockchain innovation and traditional banking, the company recently made headlines again as it pursues a national bank charter in the United States—echoing a similar move made by stablecoin provider Circle. This development marks yet another step in Ripple’s ongoing quest to bridge the gap between decentralized technologies and global financial infrastructure.

The newly revealed backstory of Ripple’s name adds a humanizing touch to the high-tech narrative that often surrounds crypto companies. It highlights the importance of accessibility in branding while also honoring the role of community enthusiasm—from a music fan holding a valuable domain to early adopters of the XRP Ledger guiding its rise.

Related: Expert Advice: Sell XRP If You’re Confused

While the name “Ripple” may trace some inspiration from a song lyric, it ultimately found life in the blockchain world through strategic synergy, shared vision, and a timely opportunity. And for XRP holders, the story serves as a reminder of the organic, sometimes serendipitous, paths forged in the creation of crypto history.