In a surprising move, Wietse Wind, the lead developer behind XRPL, publicly acknowledged Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin on his 30th birthday. The unexpected congratulations sparked controversy within the XRP community, prompting Wind to explain his admiration for Buterin’s lasting impact on the blockchain space.
Highlighting XRPL’s need to catch up with Ethereum’s developer activity, Wind emphasized the importance of iterative enhancements. He stated that building upon Buterin’s contributions, delivering more effective L1 smart contracts for real-world utility and attracting developers and retail users are crucial steps to move in the right direction.
XRPL is always playing catch up. Because all the crazy, creative, innovative (for better or worse) things are happening where there’s composability. On layer one. Hence Hooks.
— WietseWind (🛠+🪝 Xumm @ XRPL Labs) (@WietseWind) January 31, 2024
Addressing perceived lag, Wind hinted at a broader strategy, explaining that XRPL is consistently playing catch up on layer 1, hence, the introduction of Hooks. An amendment to the XRP Ledger, Hooks brings advanced smart contract functionality and aims to narrow the gap with Ethereum’s composability.
XRP v. ETH
The historical tension between Vitalik Buterin and the XRP community dates back to 2020, when Buterin criticized Ripple after controversial statements by Ripple cofounder Chris Larsen. The ongoing legal battle between the SEC and Ripple has further strained relations, with Vitalik claiming that XRP forfeited its right to protection amid attempts to implicate Ethereum.
Despite the tension, recent statements from Wind suggest a nuanced perspective. Acknowledging Ethereum’s current dominance, Wind remains optimistic about XRP Ledger’s potential to challenge the status quo. As XRPL works to bridge the gap with Ethereum, Wind’s strategic vision positions XRP as a contender in the blockchain arena.
