Was Vitalik Buterin Really Obsessed With XRP and Ripple? Ethereum Insider Ends Speculation

In a recent disclosure, Steven Nerayoff, a former Ethereum advisor known for his insightful statements, has provided some clarity on the speculation surrounding Vitalik Buterin's past interest in Ripple and XRP. The community has long wondered whether Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, had a genuine fascination with Ripple.

This talk follows earlier comments by Matt Hamilton, the former director of developer relations at Ripple, who revealed that Buterin had sought an internship opportunity at Ripple and had even slept on the couch of the company's CTO, David Schwartz.

Nerayoff, who had conversations with Buterin, shared some insights into Buterin's thought process. He mentioned that Buterin had once expressed a desire to implement smart contracts on the Bitcoin network. However, his proposal was met with resistance from developers, which may have led him to explore other blockchain projects.

Regarding Ripple, Nerayoff explained that his discussions with Buterin about the company were based on his encounters with Ripple representatives, whom he himself viewed as exemplars of effective operational practices within the blockchain industry.

No idea. He told me he wanted to implement smart contracts on Bitcoin but the devs didn’t want it. I spoke to him about Ripple but that was bc I had met the Ripple folks and used them as an example of how a company should be operated in this space. Ripple has been following me…— Steven Nerayoff (@StevenNerayoff) September 23, 2023

Nerayoff also recalled an incident from 2015 when he attended a conference where he encountered Chris Larson, a co-founder of Ripple, and another member of the Ripple team. During this event, questions related to XRP were directed to only one specific individual within the organization.

Nerayoff's insights have reignited the debate surrounding Vitalik Buterin's true interests and intentions during his interactions with Ripple. The question remains: Did Ethereum founder harbor a genuine interest in Ripple and XRP, or were there more nuanced factors at play behind the scenes?