In the formative years of digital currencies, nearly every project shared Bitcoin’s open-source framework. However, one network deviated from this path entirely. XRP introduced a model that broke away from Bitcoin’s underlying design.
A recent post by crypto researcher SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) on X revisited this defining distinction, emphasizing the digital asset’s role as the first cryptocurrency to adopt a completely different structure.
The post featured excerpts from publications highlighting Ripple’s early divergence from the Bitcoin model. The Fortune article, which mistook Ripple for XRP at the time, described the digital asset as the “first [cryptocurrency] alternative to bitcoin that has a substantially different structure.”
This acknowledgment underscored how XRP was conceived with a purpose distinct from the proof-of-work systems that defined the first generation of cryptocurrencies, and offered a more decentralized framework.
RIPPLE IS THE FIRST CRYPTO SOFTWARE BUILT ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK FROM BITCOIN + EVERY OTHER CRYPTO PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY BASED ON BITCOIN’S SYSTEM ‼
“Ripple is important not just because of its specific functions, but because Ripple is the first alternative to… pic.twitter.com/HtqF8Tmc16
— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) November 7, 2025
Breaking from the Bitcoin Blueprint
Before XRP’s introduction, most digital currencies were developed as forks or derivatives of Bitcoin. The second referenced excerpt, from an early analysis of cryptocurrency development, stated, “Until July 2013, all cryptocurrency software, except Ripple, was based on the open source Bitcoin system.”
Unlike Bitcoin, which depends on mining for transaction validation, Ripple’s framework was engineered for speed, scalability, and institutional-grade settlement. It replaced the energy-intensive mining process with a consensus protocol that enabled transactions to be confirmed within seconds rather than minutes.
The Evolution of XRP and Its Purpose
XRP embodies the structural and functional differences described in both excerpts, built not as a Bitcoin alternative in ideology, but as a practical solution to the inefficiencies of existing payment systems.
We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1
— TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025
By focusing on liquidity and settlement rather than mining or speculation, XRP demonstrated that blockchain technology could serve the financial sector in ways Bitcoin’s design could not. This deviation set the stage for XRP’s later development as the backbone of an enterprise-grade payment network adopted by financial institutions worldwide.
A Milestone in Cryptocurrency Architecture
The evidence presented by SMQKE reinforces a critical historical fact that XRP’s architecture marked the first real departure from Bitcoin’s model. The emphasis on a “substantially different structure” defined a new class of cryptocurrency technology focused on performance, trust minimization, and interoperability rather than replication of Bitcoin’s framework.
XRP’s early divergence continues to shape the evolution of digital assets. Its network remains a testament to how alternative blockchain designs can coexist with Bitcoin, and even outperform it.