Internal emails from Ripple Labs have surfaced as part of the ongoing lawsuit between the company and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
According to the disclosed emails, Ripple executives actively worked on a narrative that portrayed Bitcoin as being controlled by China. The emails, which date back to 2018, reveal a strategic effort to push this claim while positioning Ripple’s XRP token as a superior alternative.
Ripple’s Internal Messaging on Bitcoin and China
The emails contain a section titled “China + Bitcoin,” where Ripple executives discussed how their messaging about Bitcoin’s mining centralization aligned with public statements made by Ripple’s leadership.
One email states, “This feels similar to what Brad and [redacted] already say publicly about Bitcoin being run by China.” This indicates that CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s past claims about Bitcoin’s centralization were not mere observations but part of an organized public relations strategy.
Also Read: XRP Could Crash to $1.5 Soon, Here is What Happened
Source: @BitcoinNewsCom
Deliberate Efforts to Target Bitcoin and Ethereum
Further exchanges in the leaked emails reveal discussions about intensifying Ripple’s messaging against Bitcoin and Ethereum. One executive questioned whether it was time to explicitly call out Bitcoin and Ethereum by name, asking, “How is the Bitcoin/China story different than the one we are already working on with [redacted]?
Are we willing to put someone on the record now to call out Bitcoin and Ethereum?”
This suggests that Ripple was not just raising concerns about mining centralization as a general industry discussion but was actively looking for ways to use the narrative to XRP’s advantage. The emails hint at an attempt to influence public perception by associating Bitcoin and Ethereum with geopolitical concerns.
Ripple’s Competitive Strategy
During the period these emails were sent, Ripple was in a competitive race to establish XRP as a leading cryptocurrency. The company positioned XRP as a more efficient and decentralized asset than Bitcoin.
The internal communications further suggest that Ripple’s strategy was to diminish confidence in Bitcoin and Ethereum while promoting XRP as a better alternative.
Conclusion
The leaked emails provide a rare glimpse into Ripple’s internal PR strategies during a crucial period for the company. The evidence indicates that Ripple executives worked on shaping public discourse around cryptocurrency centralization to position XRP in a favorable light.
The SEC lawsuit against Ripple continues to bring forward more details about the company’s practices, which could have broader implications for the cryptocurrency industry.
Also Read: XRP Could Crash to $1.5 Soon, Here is What Happened
