David Schwartz, Ripple CTO Emeritus and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, clarified that a T-shirt he wore at the Swell event commemorated the network reaching 100 transactions per second (TPS), not a price target for XRP.
Schwartz was photographed wearing a shirt featuring a ‘speedometer’-like inscription pointing to 100. The image sparked questions within the XRP community about the specific milestone the number represented. X user @unknowDLT asked Schwartz to explain the origin of the garment, noting that the design had become a point of curiosity among investors and developers.
Technical Milestone vs. Price Expectation
Schwartz responded that the shirt was created to mark the XRP Ledger hitting 100 TPS. He noted the timing of the commission relative to the asset’s market value. “When the T-shirt was commissioned, XRP was around 30 cents. By the time we got it, XRP was $1,” Schwartz stated.
This price movement coincided with the production of the shirt, leading many community members to interpret the “100” on the fabric as a reference to XRP reaching a price of $1. Schwartz acknowledged this widespread assumption. “So everyone thought that’s what XRP at 100 meant and we just went with it,” he added.
Schwartz did not provide exact dates for when the T-shirt was commissioned or received. XRP has traded around the 30-cent mark at several points in its history, making it difficult to pinpoint the specific window based solely on price data without the technical chronology.
XRP Ledger Throughput Chronology
The technical context for the shirt’s design aligns with the early performance testing of the XRP Ledger. Performance testing began in February 2015, during which the network sustained 80 transactions per second. Incremental improvements were implemented over the following months as optimization opportunities were identified.
Between March and June 2015, the XRP Ledger sustained throughput ranging from 120 to 490 transactions per second. This period marked the era when the network crossed the 100 TPS threshold that the T-shirt commemorates. In October 2015, throughput increased to 525 transactions per second.
Throughput continued to rise in subsequent years. In 2016, the XRP Ledger throughput nearly doubled to 1,100 transactions per second. By July 2017, the network demonstrated a sustained throughput of 1,500 transactions per second. This 1,500 TPS figure remains the standard for the network to this day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 100 on the Ripple CTO’s T-shirt represent?
The number 100 on the T-shirt represents the XRP Ledger achieving a sustained throughput of 100 transactions per second (TPS). It does not refer to a price target for XRP.
When did the XRP Ledger first sustain 100 TPS?
The XRP Ledger sustained between 120 and 490 transactions per second between March and June 2015, indicating it crossed the 100 TPS threshold during that period.
