Ripple CTO Trolls XRP Critics With 'Toy Story' Meme

Not all celebrations come without shadows, even in the world of cryptocurrency. While XRP’s price has surged nearly 400% since early November - climbing to a remarkable seven-year high of $2.9 - criticism has surfaced alongside the gains. The token’s market capitalization now stands at $146.66 billion, with an impressive 79.54% of that valuation added in just weeks. Yet, questions about the nature of this sudden ascent have drawn attention to Ripple’s role in XRP’s ecosystem.

Accusations have recently emerged suggesting Ripple’s top management has been offloading billions of "pre-mined" XRP tokens onto retail investors, a practice some argue undermines market fairness.

Critics have even taken their opinions a step further, circulating satirical depictions of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse adorned in excessive gold attire, complete with chains, bracelets and a gleaming shirt, symbolizing alleged profiteering.

While the claims have fueled online discussion, Ripple CTO David Schwartz chose a characteristically unconventional method to address them. Thus, Schwartz decided to react to such a claim, but made it in his own playful manner posting a GIF with characters from "Toy Story" with a caption "Haters, haters everywhere" - a phrase Buzz Lightyear said to Woody.

The connection between Ripple and XRP remains central to these debates. Ripple incorporates XRP within its operational framework, leveraging the token in various services aimed at modernizing cross-border payments.

The company also maintains a significant stake in the token’s total supply, with approximately 38.04 billion XRP held in escrow. Ripple gradually releases a portion of these locked tokens each month, aiming to ensure predictable supply dynamics and a more stable market environment.