Early Ripple Insider Greg Kidd Confirmed to Have Optioned 1 Billion XRP at Inception

Greg Kidd, who describes himself as one of the first ten people to join Ripple, confirmed in a recorded interview that he took an options position on 1% of the entire XRP float, amounting to 1 billion XRP. The position was taken more than five years prior to the interview, placing his involvement in XRP at a very early stage of the project's development.

Kidd described his path to Ripple as beginning at the Federal Reserve, after which he attended a poker game with investors connected to companies including Google and Visa. It was at that gathering that Ripple was first described to him. He recalled the concept of a universal ledger, one that could represent both new and existing forms of value, as the element that captured his attention. Google is separately noted to have made an early investment in Ripple.

Kidd has spoken publicly about his role at XRP-focused events, including a speaking appearance at XRP Las Vegas. His background spans multiple high-profile technology and financial institutions, and he has characterized his career trajectory as arriving at consequential moments across the financial and technology sectors.

• Kidd optioned 1% of total XRP supply, equal to 1 billion XRP
• Position was taken over five years before the interview was recorded
• Kidd previously worked at the Federal Reserve before joining Ripple's earliest team
• Google was an early institutional investor in Ripple
• Kidd learned of Ripple through a private gathering with investors from major tech and finance firms