Part 2/10:
Many may not realize that Ripple existed before Bitcoin; in fact, Ripple was founded in 2004 as a Mutual Credit Network, aimed at providing a framework for easy, scalable money transfers. The XRP Ledger, however, did not emerge until 2012, developed by key figures like Jeb McCaleb and David Schwartz, the latter of whom has connections to the NSA. Schwartz's prior involvement in projects related to cryptography suggests that Ripple's launch was grounded in a strong technological foundation.