Who is Stefan Thomas? A Biography
Early life and educationBorn in Germany, Stefan Thomas showed an early fascination with computers and coding. He pursued software development as a teenager and later studied economics, blending tech skills…
XRPL Hooks: How Smart Contracts Are Coming to XRP
Understanding XRPL HooksXRPL Hooks are lightweight, low-level smart contract scripts embedded directly into the XRP Ledger, enabling automated, programmable behavior without compromising speed, scalability, or XRP’s core efficiency.How smart contracts…
How Britto’s XRP Ledger Design is Different from Bitcoin
Consensus mechanisms comparedUnlike Bitcoin’s energy-intensive Proof-of-Work, Britto’s XRP Ledger uses a unique consensus algorithm enabling faster verification, lower latency, and decentralized agreement without mining or competitive computation.Transaction speed and scalabilityXRP…
David Schwartz’s Upgrades to the XRP Ledger
Key innovations introduced by SchwartzDavid Schwartz revolutionized the XRP Ledger with native NFT support, decentralized identity features, and the introduction of Hooks—enabling smart contract-like functionality directly on the ledger.Enhancing scalability…
How XRP Handles Cross-Border Payments Efficiently
XRP's role in reducing transaction costsXRP slashes cross-border payment costs by minimizing intermediary fees and leveraging blockchain technology, offering a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional banking systems with significantly lower…
How the XRP Ledger Achieves Fast and Cheap Transactions
Consensus protocol and transaction validationThe XRP Ledger uses a unique consensus algorithm—faster than proof-of-work—allowing transactions to settle in 3-5 seconds with minimal energy use and near-instantaneous validation across trusted nodes.Low…
What Are Payment Channels on the XRP Ledger?
How payment channels workPayment channels on the XRP Ledger enable rapid, low-cost micropayments by allowing senders to pre-authorize funds off-ledger, settling only the final balance on-chain for efficiency.Setting up a…
XRP’s Speed and Scalability Compared to Other Cryptos
Transaction speed and confirmation timesXRP boasts lightning-fast transaction speeds, completing transfers in 3-5 seconds—far outpacing Bitcoin’s 10-minute blocks and Ethereum’s typical 15-second confirmations.Scalability metrics across major cryptocurrenciesWhen comparing scalability, XRP…
The Story of How David Schwartz Joined Ripple
Early career and cryptographic interestsDavid Schwartz, a brilliant software engineer, began his career building encrypted cloud storage systems and delved deep into cryptography, captivated by decentralized technologies and the potential…