Meta Title: When Did XRP Crypto Come Out? Launch & Timeline Explained
Meta Description: Learn the history of XRP, including when XRP crypto came out, key project milestones, and why XRP remains a major player in blockchain today.
URL Slug: when-did-xrp-crypto-come-out
If you've ever wondered when did XRP crypto come out, you’re in the right place. XRP is the native digital asset of the XRP Ledger, a high-speed blockchain adapted for cross-border payments. Since its launch, XRP has become a significant player in the digital currency world, especially within the financial services sector. In this article, we’ll break down when XRP debuted, important updates in its history, and what makes it stand out from other cryptocurrencies.
XRP was officially created in 2012 by a group of developers: David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto. Their mission was to build a faster, more energy-efficient alternative to Bitcoin. These founders worked with Chris Larsen to form a company originally named OpenCoin, later rebranded as Ripple Labs (now just Ripple).
Unlike Bitcoin, XRP wasn’t "mined" in blocks; all tokens existed from the start. This design helped the Ripple team immediately begin developing financial products such as payment corridors and remittances.
In summary, XRP came out in June 2012 when the ledger went live and continues to be developed.
Over the last decade, XRP has evolved to serve both banks and individuals. Its core use case is to function as a bridge currency for speedy, low-cost global payments, targeting inefficiencies in traditional banking systems like SWIFT.
According to official Ripple updates, more than 300 financial institutions have tested or adopted Ripple’s payment technology—many leveraging XRP for liquidity.
| Feature | XRP/RippleNet | SWIFT/Traditional Systems | |-----------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------| | Transaction Speed | 3–5 seconds | 3–5 days | | Transaction Cost | Often <$0.01 | $15–$50+ | | Energy Consumption | Low (no PoW mining) | Higher | | Transparency | On-chain, real-time tracking | Limited |
Sources: Ripple Whitepaper, Ripple Insights Blog
XRP was made to solve problems associated with slow, expensive cross-border payments. Instead of taking days and high fees, XRP allows for almost instant and affordable value transfer.
The XRP Ledger is a public blockchain operated by independent validators. While Ripple plays a significant development role, anyone can run a validator node. The degree of decentralization is debated, but technical research from the University of Waterloo and third-party trackers such as XRPScan show increasing diversity in validator ownership.
XRP remains among the top-10 cryptocurrencies by market cap as of 2024. The ongoing SEC court case in the United States has brought attention to XRP’s regulatory status, but major exchanges—including Bitget Exchange—continue to list it, and the XRP Ledger is seeing new technical upgrades, such as improved smart contract capabilities and sidechains.
David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto are the main creators, with Chris Larsen assisting in forming the original company.
All 100 billion XRP were created at XRPL’s mainnet launch in June 2012.
No—XRP is not mineable. It’s distributed via the XRP Ledger and available on exchanges like Bitget Exchange.
XRP's combination of lightning-fast processing, low environmental impact, and history of institutional adoption has set it apart from other digital currencies. Its growth since 2012 shows strong resilience and ongoing innovation, despite regulatory challenges and fierce competition in the crypto ecosystem.
Whether you’re a beginner or an enthusiast, knowing when XRP crypto came out and following its development can help you understand why it remains relevant. For trading and secure storage purposes, Bitget Exchange and Bitget Wallet continue to support XRP, making it easy to access XRP’s features and benefits as the blockchain industry evolves.