
Ripple has always been surrounded by secrets and strong opinions, but a new claim by Edward Farina, founder of Alpha Lions Academy. He says its deep roots link back to old trademarks and connections to U.S. intelligence groups. A few names and dates are raising eyebrows, and the missing piece could be Ryan Fugger, Ripple’s quiet early founder.
At the center of this claim is Ryan Fugger, the man who first created Ripple’s early idea. Fugger once said the name “Ripple” came from a song by the Grateful Dead. But Farina says there’s more to it.
He points out that a company called Ripple Communications was set up way back in 1991, years before anyone knew about crypto.
In 2005, the same year the U.S. intelligence network INSA was reorganized, three interesting domains appeared under the same IP: Ripplecom, RipplePay, and OpenCoin. OpenCoin later became Ripple Labs, which we know today.
At the same time, Karen Nussle worked for Ripple Communications. Oddly enough, she was also listed as a key contact at INSA, a U.S. Intelligence and National Security Alliance that connects private contractors with U.S. spy agencies.
Farina adds more fuel to the fire by pointing at names linked to both Ripple and U.S. intelligence. Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg pops up too. She held top roles at INSA but worked at Ripple Communications between 2010 and 2012.
Just as she left, Jed McCaleb bought the ripple.com domain and the old trademark. After that, Ripple Communications vanished, but Ripple Labs took its place.
All eyes turn back to Fugger, the original mind behind RipplePay. He faded from the public eye as Ripple grew into a billion-dollar company. Why he stepped back, and why Ripple still holds trademarks from a 1991 telecom firm, keeps this theory alive.
Maybe Ripple is just a payment company. Or maybe, as some think, it’s something more hidden in plain sight.
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