币界网报道：Ripple's origins may predate Bitcoin by several years, according to newly surfaced evidence suggesting the payment protocol's conceptual framework existed as early as 2004. A recently uncovered forum post from December 2004 references "Ripplepay.com," describing it as a "trust-based grassroots monetary system" created by Ryan Fugger before Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin whitepaper emerged in 2008. The post outlines a peer-to-peer network where users extend credit lines to trusted parties, forming chains of IOUs - core principles later incorporated into Ripple's distributed ledger technology. This revelation challenges conventional crypto history narratives that position Bitcoin as the first decentralized digital currency concept. Fugger's early work focused on enabling communities to create their own money systems, differing from Bitcoin's fixed-supply model. The Ripple network as known today evolved through multiple iterations, with Fugger later collaborating with Jed McCaleb and Chris Larsen to develop the XRP Ledger in 2012. The discovery has sparked discussions about cryptocurrency innovation timelines and the interconnected nature of fintech developments.