Internal Ripple Emails Expose Anti-Bitcoin Smear Campaign

Internal Ripple emails from 2018—submitted in the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit over alleged unregistered securities sales—have resurfaced. These documents show that Ripple executives and staff actively discussed promoting the narrative that Bitcoin is “controlled by China,” a claim often referred to as “China FUD” (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt).

How Ripple Directed The Bitcoin “China FUD”

One of the cited emails, labeled “4) China + Bitcoin,” contains the following directive: “This feels similar to what Brad and [Redacted] already say publicly about Bitcoin being run by China.”

Another segment outlines a plan to produce an “insights post” contrasting XRP with other cryptocurrencies:“ We could pitch this out as it would get a ton of play as ‘Ripple’s Response to [Redacted].’ Note: This feels like it would run opposite to our current promotion efforts around exchanges. As of right now, we have told all current or future exchanges that we are not able to provide promotion help.”

In addition to these strategic notes, email exchanges among Ripple staff dated July 16, 2018, suggest a detailed, ongoing conversation about how best to frame Bitcoin’s perceived centralization issues. One staff member wrote: “How is the bitcoin/china story different than the one we are already working on with [Redacted]? Are we willing to put someone on the record now to specifically call out bitcoin and ethereum?”

A [Redacted] staffer then proposed a meeting: “Can we all circle up sometime today to discuss next steps?” The emails underscore that “China + Bitcoin” was an internal talking point at Ripple, seemingly aimed at highlighting Bitcoin’s alleged vulnerabilities tied to Chinese mining pools in order to promote XRP as “decentralized”.

These newly surfaced emails come shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Notably, leaks have revealed that Ripple opposed a “Bitcoin-only” strategy, lobbying for a more diversified approach that would include XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA). Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reportedly met with the Trump administration to advocate for broader inclusion of digital assets.

Publicly, Ripple’s lobbying efforts have been positioned as part of a campaign to shape crypto-friendly regulations. However, critics assert that Ripple’s behind-the-scenes work—evidenced by the leaked emails—took on a distinctly anti-Bitcoin tone.

Critics quickly seized upon an October 9, 2018 tweet from Ripple CTO David “JoelKatz” Schwartz (@JoelKatz), which stated: “A new study shows China controls 74% of bitcoin. Does that sound decentralized to you?” According to critics, this tweet closely aligns with the July 2018 email discussions, suggesting a concerted PR strategy to depict Bitcoin as centralized.

Longtime XRP skeptic Pierre Rochard, VP of Research at Riot Platforms, Inc., responded on X: “I don’t respect David Schwartz, Ripple, or XRP. For the past decade their marketing strategy to hype their pre-mined altcoin has been to buy and promote anti-bitcoin disinformation while pretending that banks want to use XRP (they don’t). They’ll say and do anything to advance their centralized garbage ‘technology’ that has zero utility.”

Rochard also added: “Brad Garlinghouse did his best to smear Bitcoin as bad for the environment and controlled by China. Disinformation. The truth won, he lost.”

Ripple’s Long History Of Anti-Bitcoin Marketing

Remarkably, Ripple has a long history of attacking Bitcoin. Ripple’s co-founder and executive chairman, Chris Larsen, has been a vocal advocate for shifting Bitcoin’s consensus mechanism from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS). In March 2022, Larsen personally funded a $5 million Greenpeace USA campaign called “Change the Code,” aimed at pressuring Bitcoin developers and prominent industry figures to alter Bitcoin’s mining protocol.

Despite high-profile advertising and an attention-grabbing art installation by Benjamin Von Wong—the “Skull of Satoshi”—the campaign backfired spectacularly. Bitcoiners embraced it as “badass,” co-opting it as a mascot. On March 25, 2023, Von Wong posted a Twitter thread admitting he’d been “wrong” to view Bitcoin’s environmental impact as a “black-and-white issue.”

After engaging with Bitcoin advocates online, he acknowledged that mining’s energy dynamics were complex—PoW could drive renewable adoption rather than just harm the planet. He shifted from advocating a code change to suggesting Bitcoiners “work within the system” to green the network, a notable pivot from the campaign’s original intent. Greenpeace, however, doubled down, continuing to tour the skull to push its message, despite Von Wong’s softened rhetoric.

At press time, BTC traded at $81,593.