Ripple’s Schwartz Admits: We Should Have Turbocharged XRP With Smart Contracts Years Ago

Ripple's chief technology officer drops bombshell admission about missed opportunities in blockchain's evolution.

THE SMART CONTRACT BLUEPRINT THAT GOT AWAY

David Schwartz's confession hits like a ton of bricks—XRP could have dominated decentralized finance years earlier if they'd prioritized smart contract capabilities. While competitors built sprawling ecosystems, Ripple focused elsewhere. Now the race is on to catch up in a market where first-mover advantage means everything.

THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE SHIFT

Ethereum grabbed the smart contract crown early, while newer chains like Solana and Cardano carved their niches. XRP's payments-focused approach suddenly looks limited in a world demanding programmable money. The admission reveals strategic tensions within Ripple's leadership about which technological bets to place—and when.

FINANCE'S FAVORITE PASTIME: MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING

Hindsight's always 20/20 in crypto—especially when you're watching potential billions flow to competitors. Schwartz's candor signals Ripple's renewed urgency to expand XRP's utility beyond cross-border payments. Because nothing motivates like watching other projects eat your lunch while Wall Street bankers pretend they understood blockchain all along.

Ripple’s CTO, David Schwartz, says the company should have prioritized native smart contract capabilities on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) much earlier. Speaking during a recent X Spaces session titled “Programmability on the XRPL,” Schwartz explained that Ripple’s early skepticism toward smart contracts delayed the development of the feature at the Layer-1 level.

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