Amid Ripple’s growing presence in the derivatives market, XRP community figures have revived claims that Amazon supposedly bought 5 billion XRP a decade ago. 

This discussion re-emerged after analysts called attention to Bitnomial’s move to launch Botanical, its CFTC-regulated perpetual futures trading platform, in October 2024. 

Ripple’s Relationship with Bitnomial

For context, Ripple backed this launch by leading a $25 million funding round. At the time, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse applauded Bitnomial’s plan to bring offshore-style trading structures into the U.S. derivatives market while building a regulated environment for assets such as XRP. 

He also highlighted Bitnomial’s plan to use Ripple’s RLUSD for settlement and said this approach raised the standard for the entire industry.

Although these developments happened in October 2024, XRP commentator Cowboy recently brought them back into the spotlight. Interestingly, this prompted another commentary from Digital Asset Investor (DAI), another well-known figure in the community.

Ripple’s Interest in the Derivatives Market

Responding to Cowboy, DAI said that the Bitnomial-Ripple announcement aligned with predictions from Kendra Hill, a controversial XRP community member. He then questioned whether her previous claim about Amazon holding billions of XRP might also have merit.

Notably, DAI’s reaction suggested that he saw the Ripple–Bitnomial relationship as possible support for Hill’s earlier claims about Ripple’s interest in the derivatives market. 

For the uninitiated, Hill became a controversial figure in the XRP community seven years ago after she started a Steemit blog in July 2017. She repeatedly claimed insider knowledge and predicted several bullish outcomes for XRP, including its future role in the global financial system.

Years before the Bitnomial announcement, Hill argued that Ripple used cross-border payments as a testing phase. 

According to her, Ripple aimed to manage every transaction in the derivatives market and insisted that the company kept this vision quiet because it had not yet completed a key part of the system, which she called Codius. 

Once Ripple supported Bitnomial in 2024, some XRP holders, including DAI, believed Hill may have been right about Ripple’s interest in derivatives. 

Claims of Amazon Holding 5B XRP

This belief led DAI to revisit one of Hill’s most controversial claims: her statement that Amazon allegedly secured a massive XRP position. Back then, Hill said Amazon and Ripple negotiated a deal in 2015 that gave Amazon control over 5 billion XRP, representing over 5% of XRP’s total supply. She also said that this XRP remained locked until both parties decided to announce the partnership.

Hill also explained why she believed Ripple and Amazon never talked about this supposed deal. She argued that XRP’s price never reacted to partnership announcements because XRP did not yet serve any real purpose. 

She said the price would surge once new use cases arrived. According to her earlier statements, major partners preferred to keep quiet so institutional investors could accumulate XRP while the price stayed low. 

Meanwhile, to support Hill’s claims, DAI also pointed to a comment Ripple CTO David Schwartz made in October 2025. Schwartz explained that Ripple could sell rights to receive future escrowed XRP or even sell the accounts those escrows eventually unlock into, although the XRP itself could not enter the market until its planned release date.

Despite all these discussions, no statement from Ripple, Amazon, or any of their executives confirms that the alleged partnership ever existed. Notably, Hill also predicted that the announcement would arrive in March 2019, but nothing happened. She also claimed in 2018 that XRP would reach $50 in 24 hours, which also never occurred.

XRP proponents are making merry after Bitcoin author Natalie Brunell shared an eye-opening summary of her weekend interactions with investors.

Her account describes a long list of doubts that still surround the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Many expressed the view that they had “missed it” by not buying BTC at lower prices, such as around $800.

In contrast, others raised concerns about Bitcoin’s dependence on electricity, the recoverability of lost keys, or longstanding myths about Bitcoin’s origins.

“Cannot Do 100X”

Moreover, some were unimpressed by the idea that Bitcoin could reach $1 million. They dismiss it as “only a 10X” and lament that they prefer assets capable of 100X returns.

Others said they preferred traditional assets like real estate because of tax advantages such as 1031 exchanges. 

A few noted they were discouraged from investing because their brokers advised against it. But one remark stood out in Brunell’s thread: some investors said, simply, “I like that XRP.”

Brunell concluded her reflection with a familiar phrase in crypto circles: “We are so early”. It suggests there is still a significant educational gap within the investing public.

XRP Army: ‘Hard to Sell Something Without Utility’

Meanwhile, Zach Rector, a familiar voice in the XRP community, responded to Brunell’s post with a tongue-in-cheek remark: “Hard to sell something without utility.”

His comment suggests that skepticism toward Bitcoin stems from its perceived lack of utility. He echoed a long-running narrative within the XRP community that practical use cases in payments, liquidity solutions, and financial infrastructure will drive digital-asset adoption.

Hard to sell something without utility 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/01W20c45UZ

— Zach Rector (@ZachRector7) December 7, 2025

For many in the XRP Army, the investor reactions highlighted by Brunell illustrate why XRP continues to attract attention, even in rooms dominated by Bitcoin conversations. It offers a price advantage over Bitcoin. 

Meanwhile, industry leaders like Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong have stated that it doesn’t matter what price one entered Bitcoin at and that owning a full BTC is not a requirement for participation.

Broader Reactions

Other voices also weighed in on Brunell’s post. Noble Investing noted that skepticism about an asset’s future returns is nothing new. He said similar doubts surrounded real estate for years. Yet it still became one of the most powerful wealth-building tools for generations.

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas commented on the claim that Bitcoin reaching $1 million would be only a 10X. He suggested the person making that claim is “living in a fantasy world.”

Brunell replied that wealthy investors often seek to preserve wealth and avoid high volatility. Meanwhile, those seeking wealth are hunting for the kind of 1,000X opportunity early Bitcoin investors enjoyed — hence the skepticism.

They’re clearly looking for @ericjackson’s 100 baggers 🥲

But in all seriousness I think it’s from the mentality that if they invest a little and it goes 10x over the next decade, it won’t change their life.

The investors who are wealthy want to preserve their wealth and seem…

— Natalie Brunell ⚡️ (@natbrunell) December 6, 2025

Crypto Perception

Ultimately, Brunell’s thread and the reactions to it highlight that many investors still judge Bitcoin using outdated ideas. Meanwhile, within the XRP community, many believe the next phase of crypto growth will be by real-world utility, not just store-of-value narratives.

Still, the discussion confirms that Bitcoin remains the leading crypto asset, and investor opinions across the market continue to evolve.

XRP holders frustrated by slow pace have been urged to rethink their expectations, especially considering how long it took major tech companies to become successful.

The comparison has stirred fresh discussions about patience for XRP holders, as the coin’s price continues to underperform even amid ETF investments.

Looking at Amazon’s 254,933% Rise

In a tweet, 24hrscrypto1, a widely followed XRP commentator, highlighted Amazon’s historical chart, showing its rise from $0.09 in 1997 to more than $229 over time. Notably, the chart shows that Amazon’s stock has risen 254,933% during its lifetime.

Before this extraordinary performance occurred, the early years saw skepticism and minimal mainstream attention. The message is that big winners often take years for the market to notice their full potential.

The commentator noted that many investors expect explosive returns but lack the patience required to withstand the long consolidation phases that typically precede them.

XRP Community’s Frustration

Indeed, XRP’s prolonged consolidation has left many investors impatient, especially given the recent bullish developments surrounding XRP. These include Ripple’s $2.5 billion investment this year and ETFs buying almost $1 billion worth of XRP within 30 days of trading.

Despite these developments, XRP remains down 26.33% over the past two months. While the performance has frustrated investors, the discussion suggests holders are being too anxious.

It highlights how investors often overlook the time horizon required for technologies to mature.

24hrscrypto1 noted that short-term expectations dominate modern markets. Many traders are seeking “Amazon-level” returns while maintaining only “microwave-level” patience.

Views of Other Market Watchers

24hrscrypto1’s post triggered significant reactions. Many expressed opposing views and suggested that the comparison to Amazon might be a stretch.

For example, X user Mortimer pointed out that XRP’s historical chart differs significantly from Amazon’s. He emphasized that Amazon’s growth was exponential, whereas XRP’s chart has been more stagnant, even over a span of 10+ years.

In response, 24hrscrypto1 argued that Amazon’s chart only appears exponential today because we are viewing it 27 years later. “You’re comparing a finished product to one that’s just now being activated,” he remarked. He added that XRP hasn’t even reached its “Amazon 2008 moment” yet.

Meanwhile, another commentator highlighted XRP’s all-time performance, noting that it has risen 35,673% from its bottom around $0.002 to above $2. Yet bulls like 24hrscrypto1 argue that XRP hasn’t yet entered its Amazon-like growth phase. This view suggests the projected bullish phase may already be behind us.

It’s literally up 38,000% 🤣🤣 from 0.0005 to $3 and you say it hasn’t entered its Amazon phase yet… 🤣🤣

— DIGI || KASPA 🎯 || Dione ⚡️|| VerseX (@DIGIMON3Y) December 8, 2025

“A Very Dangerous Game”

Indeed, several analysts in the XRP community have used Amazon’s long years of consolidation and eventual breakout to paint a promising future for XRP, as the coin continues to trade under $3.84 eight years later.

Some have even called for a $100 XRP price based on this theory. However, critics argue that this comparison is flawed.

For instance, a USMC veteran remarked on 24hrscrypto1’s post that comparing an “unbacked” crypto asset to a security tied to a real company with actual revenue is “a very dangerous game.”

Comparing an unbacked digital asset to a security tied to a real company with actual revenue is a very dangerous game

— Spade (@SpadesHQ_) December 8, 2025