Ripple CTO Responds to Dorsey: “Bitcoin Is Not a Cryptocurrency” – What Did He Mean?

David Schwartz, the Chief Technology Officer at Ripple, has joined the heated debate sparked by Jack Dorsey, the former Twitter CEO and well-known Bitcoin advocate. Dorsey recently stated that “Bitcoin is not a cryptocurrency”, which caused widespread confusion and discussion among users on X (formerly Twitter).

Language nuances and interpretation

Schwartz, who announced he would step down from his position at the end of the year, provided linguistic context to clarify the statement. He explained that if one says “Bitcoin is not cryptocurrency” without the indefinite article, it can imply that Bitcoin doesn’t belong to the same group as other tokens – that it stands apart from the speculative crypto market.

However, if the phrase were “Bitcoin is not a cryptocurrency”, it would suggest that Bitcoin isn’t a cryptocurrency at all – which is obviously false. Many commenters took Dorsey’s remark literally, pointing out that Bitcoin indeed relies on cryptography. But according to Schwartz, Dorsey wasn’t questioning the technology itself — he was distinguishing Bitcoin’s philosophy from that of other altcoins.

Dorsey’s long-standing opposition to altcoins

Jack Dorsey is a well-known Bitcoin maximalist. Having discovered Bitcoin around 2010, he has been one of its most vocal supporters ever since. He often criticizes other cryptocurrencies for being overly centralized or speculative.

In the past, he mocked the Ethereum community with an Ethiopian flag post and claimed that “Ethereum has too many single points of failure.” For many Bitcoin maximalists, the term “cryptocurrency” has become synonymous with everything that diverges from Bitcoin’s original ideal of decentralization. They believe Bitcoin represents a unique digital asset, while most other coins are speculative ventures. Schwartz concluded that Dorsey’s statement wasn’t an attack on cryptography or blockchain itself — rather, it was his way of expressing that Bitcoin deserves its own category — beyond the term “cryptocurrency.”

#bitcoin , #Ripple , #blockchain , #cryptocurrency , #BTC

Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies! Notice: ,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“