XRP vs Bitcoin Maxis: Forbes Legal Analyst Chimes in
The XRP and Bitcoin communities have been at loggerheads in recent weeks, and the feud shows no signs of subsiding anytime soon.
The tension emerged amid ongoing discussions about which crypto assets should feature in the proposed U.S. strategic crypto reserve. Hailey Lennon, a legal analyst for Forbes Crypto, has been at the forefront of the debate, strongly advocating for a Bitcoin-only reserve.
However, this perspective has sparked a backlash from the XRP Army. Notably, Ripple executives are pushing for a more diversified crypto reserve that doesn’t favor just a single asset.
Forbes Legal Analyst’s Push for Bitcoin-only Reserve
Meanwhile, in her commentary, Lennon argued that a strategic reserve should exclude cryptocurrencies that a centralized group or entity promotes and profits from.
Although Lennon didn’t directly mention XRP or Ripple, members of the XRP community took offense at her stance. According to Lennon, the XRP Army felt personally targeted.
“The fact that I haven’t mentioned XRP and you all keep assuming it’s about XRP is actually telling,” she said.
In a follow-up post, Lennon directly addressed her skepticism about including XRP in the U.S. strategic reserve. She remarked that those who love XRP and choose to hold it instead of Bitcoin are free to do so.
However, Lennon emphasized that the stakes regarding a strategic reserve for the United States are much higher. She argued that it’s not just about “I want my coin in there so the price goes up.”
Unsurprisingly, the post further triggered the XRP Army, sparking a wave of negative commentary. Lennon sarcastically summarized the hundreds of comments from what she described as “angry XRP people,” mocking the reactions she had received.
XRP vs. Bitcoin Maxis: Breakdown of the Debate
In response to claims that all Bitcoiners were ignorant and jealous of XRP, she brushed it off, saying, “We’re good. Ok, moving on.”
She also mocked the idea that Ripple was an exemplary U.S. company while Bitcoin supposedly had ties to China. She sarcastically noted that decentralization seemed to be a hard concept for some to grasp.
Furthermore, Lennon addressed views that Ripple had never attacked Bitcoin and that the community was simply mean. She countered this by citing alleged lobbying efforts Ripple had pushed against Bitcoin. However, Ripple has clarified that it actually advocated for Bitcoin, not against it.
Meanwhile, the XRP Army criticized Bitcoiners for not knowing the identity of Satoshi, calling anonymity a scary and potentially dangerous concept.
Lennon sarcastically responded, suggesting that the XRP Army preferred trusting a “well-known company” and CEO who controlled about 50% of the token supply and could potentially manipulate the market at will.
Ripple Ex-Director Reacts
Matt Hamilton, a former developer at Ripple who is a Bitcoin holder himself, expressed his frustration with how prominent figures in the Bitcoin community were using their influence to sow discord and disinformation rather than focusing on growing the entire crypto industry.
“Bitcoin maximalism isn’t the answer,” he wrote.
Indeed this is true, that this is bigger than just Bitcoin. But on one hand you complain about people getting mad at you, yet at the same time you actively peddle the same disinformation that has hurt this industry.
Bitcoin maximalism isn’t the answer. Ever since people were…
— Matt Hamilton (@HammerToe) January 25, 2025
