A rumor is at present circulating on Twitter about an alleged connection between Ripple Labs and the US Federal Reserve (Fed). Despite the fact that the story is outwardly very far-fetched, it’s nonetheless a narrative price telling, and we don’t need to hold it quiet.
The origin of the rumor is widespread XRP military member @NFAdotcrypto. The consumer shared a video clip from Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s semi-annual testimony earlier than the US Congress yesterday. Congressman Wiley Nickel asks the Fed chairman how he preferred the latest live performance by the Grateful Useless, an American rock band based in 1965.
Powell replied that he had been a “Grateful Useless fan” for 50 years, whereupon Congressman Wiley Nickel replied, “I discovered a common reality, I like individuals who just like the Grateful Useless.” And right here comes the connection to Ripple:
In a 2018 video in regards to the beginnings, Ripple founder and present government chairman Chris Larsen declared, “We’ve at all times beloved the Grateful Useless.” Within the video clip, Larsen additionally tells how he had to purchase the Ripple area from a Grateful Useless super-fan who owned it due to their tune “Ripple”.
Was there a refined nod to @ripple at yesterday’s press convention or only a coincidence? 🤔
1. Jerome Powell says he’s been a “Grateful Useless fan for 50 years.”
2. Congressman Wiley Nickel responds, “I’ve discovered one common reality — I like individuals who just like the Grateful Useless”
3.… pic.twitter.com/pv9LTUruMt
— NotFinancialAdvice.Crypto (@NFAdotcrypto) June 22, 2023
The connection is clear it doesn’t matter what, but it surely appears very far-fetched. Whether or not Powell’s statements in regards to the Grateful Useless are literally sufficient proof that there’s some type of cooperation between the fintech and the US central financial institution is for everybody to guage for themselves. However, different statements made by Powell through the two-day hearings earlier than the US Congress about crypto have been additionally noticeable.
The Fed chairman stated that the Bitcoin and crypto asset class “seems to have some endurance” within the US economic system. Furthermore, Powell remarked on the subject of stablecoins and declared that the Federal Reserve does “see funds stablecoins as a type of cash,” and that “it might be applicable to have a fairly strong federal position in what occurs in stablecoins going ahead.”
Ripple And FedNow Rumors Revival
Remarkably, the rumors a couple of supposed connection between Ripple and the US central financial institution aren’t fairly new. Previously, hypothesis has centered on FedNow, which will likely be launched in July. The FedNow service is a brand new instantaneous funds infrastructure developed by the Federal Reserve that enables monetary establishments of any dimension within the US to supply instantaneous fee companies.
As early as March this 12 months, there have been rumors that the Federal Reserve may use RippleNet as the premise for its digital transaction community. The backdrop is that among the many banks on board for the launch are three of Ripple’s companions: ACI Worldwide, Finastra and Volante Applied sciences. The XRP military is due to this fact pondering whether or not Ripple may play a job.
As well as, the XRP military factors to an Atlanta Fed doc from Could 2023 by which Ripple and Stellar get credit score for “making an attempt to make the worth switch cheaper.” It additional states:
Ripple gives numerous companies by way of using its native token, the XRP, which is roughly envisioned as a world fee medium or wholesale settlement coin.
At press time, the XRP value wasn’t influenced by the rumor. XRP modified palms for $0.4919 and is down 3.2% within the final 24 hours.
Featured picture from iStock / CNN, chart from TradingView.com