In a recent Twitter thread, Ripple CTO David Schwartz shared his thoughts about how embracing blockchain-agnostic solutions could potentially accelerate XRP’s adoption and bring more users to the digital asset.
The open-source public XRP Ledger (XRPL) was created in 2012 by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto; its native digital asset is XRP.
Schwartz began his thread by acknowledging the frequent inquiries he receives about whether certain technologies should be designed to work exclusively with XRP. He explained that unless it’s an XRPL (XRP Ledger) feature, he advises against limiting a technology to work solely with XRP. Schwartz argued that making a technology compatible with various assets would attract a wider audience and be more helpful to people who might not currently be interested in XRP.
The Ripple CTO went on to explain that numerous technologies don’t currently work with XRP, making it more challenging for users to switch to XRP if it becomes a better fit for their needs in the future. By eliminating barriers to using XRP and ensuring compatibility with multiple assets, Schwartz believes more people will be drawn to the technology and benefit from improved user experiences.
Schwartz used the example of Google to illustrate his point further. If Google had tried to make the internet work well only for those using Google products, the internet would be significantly less enjoyable for many users. This would result in fewer internet users, devices, and connections, ultimately limiting the number of people accessing Google’s products and services.
Finally, Schwartz offered another analogy to highlight the importance of versatility in technology. He compared the situation to developing a tool that could open whole fresh coconuts – a notoriously difficult task. Schwartz posited that a tool designed to open coconuts and also prepare various other foods would be more appealing and widely adopted than one with a single, specific use.
