Ripple CTO Emeritus reveals story behind XRP Ledger ‘100 TPS’ T-shirt

David Schwartz, Ripple CTO Emeritus and one of the primary architects behind the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has shared the unexpected background of a notable XRP-themed T-shirt first seen during the company’s Swell event. Schwartz clarified that the ‘speedometer’ design referencing the number 100 on his T-shirt was not meant to indicate XRP’s price, but rather a technical milestone for the network.

Community curiosity over T-shirt symbolism

Schwartz attracted the attention of the XRP community when he wore a T-shirt featuring a speedometer graphic pointing to 100. Some community members speculated that the figure represented an anticipated price level for XRP, leading to widespread interest in its true significance.

Schwartz explained that the shirt was commissioned to celebrate the XRP Ledger reaching 100 transactions per second, while XRP was then trading at $0.30. By the time the shirt arrived, XRP’s price had risen to $1, which led to confusion about whether the “100” referred to a price milestone or a performance achievement.

From technical milestone to community meme

The timing of the T-shirt’s release resulted in some confusion, with several in the community interpreting the “100” as a sign that XRP had reached, or was targeting, a price of $1. Schwartz indicated that the misinterpretation persisted, and he and others simply accepted the new meaning that had developed within the community.

While Schwartz did not disclose the exact timeline for when the T-shirt was commissioned, he suggested that the focus was always intended to be a nod to XRPL’s throughput improvements. XRP, which had traded at the $0.30 level at various times in its price history, made it difficult to determine the precise date referenced. However, broader analysis of the ledger’s transaction speed progress provided further context.

XRP Ledger throughput milestones

Early performance tests in February 2015 showed that the XRP Ledger could process 80 transactions per second. The network saw incremental improvements, ultimately sustaining between 120 and 490 transactions per second from March to June 2015.

A significant breakthrough came in October 2015, when XRPL throughput increased to 525 transactions per second, and the following year it nearly doubled, reaching up to 1,100 transactions per second.

In July 2017, the ledger demonstrated an ability to handle 1,500 transactions per second, a capacity that has remained stable since then.

Mini dictionary: XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a decentralized public blockchain designed for high-performance cross-border payments. Its consensus protocol allows for rapid and low-cost transactions, supporting the cryptocurrency XRP.

The story behind the T-shirt highlights how technical achievements can sometimes be misinterpreted as price-related events in the cryptocurrency community, resulting in new narratives that evolve organically.