A commentator from the NFA Research Group recently argued that the well-known idea of "589", associated with XRP, first emerged in the early history of Bitcoin.
In a recent video, he suggested that various dates, numbers, and regulatory records highlight what he considers a deliberate pattern that emerged long before XRP holders turned 589 into a community symbol.
589 Linked to Bitcoin on CNBC
During the commentary, the specialist reacted to a CNBC segment featuring Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. During the interview, CNBC displayed an image of Bitcoin overlaid on a US dollar bill with a serial number that included the number "589".
The researcher insisted that this detail seemed intentional, not accidental, but mentioned that no one should expect CNBC to confirm it. He argued that the timing was an almost impossible coincidence, attributing the credit for the discovery to a member of the XRP Drops community.
According to him, although the 589 meme belongs to the XRP community, the incident with CNBC placed the number under the lens of Bitcoin, not XRP. This detail led him to reconsider his previous assertion that Bitcoin and XRP function as complementary assets.
Bitcoin and XRP as complementary assets
He claimed that Bitcoin's proof-of-work system creates value through energy use, while the energy-efficient consensus of the XRP Ledger allows for the quick and clean transfer of that value.
The specialist then drew attention to an earlier video where he argued that the colors of the logos of Bitcoin and Ripple resemble ionized liquid gold and silver, which, for him, demonstrates their roles as a store of value and payment assets. He stated that these details convinced him that a coordinated vision may have led to the development of both networks from the beginning.
The researcher then highlighted details from the early days of Bitcoin. Notably, the first post in a public forum containing Bitcoin's source code appeared on May 8, 2009, which he referred to as 589.
According to him, this date may have marked the first layer of the 589 pattern. He suggested that a small team of cryptographers, possibly people who enjoyed puzzles, might have created Bitcoin and also inserted the idea of 5-8-9 as a hidden signature.
The specialist proceeded with another date connection. To contextualize, Satoshi Nakamoto sent his last known email on April 23, 2011, stating that he would move on to focus on other projects. Exactly 5 years, 8 months, and 9 days later, Brad Garlinghouse became CEO of Ripple.
Alleged regulatory connection
Additionally, the specialist also related the disclosure of Bitcoin's source code on May 8, 2009, to another event. Specifically, the SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) issued Release No. 34-59895, a document he described as the regulatory foundation for future digital asset products, including Bitcoin ETFs.
Considering these indications, the researcher stated that the connections show that the 5-8-9 pattern emerged in Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market in general long before the XRP community adopted it.
However, in response to your comment, an XRP investor also pointed out that the market analysis tool Coinlore lists the first trading price of XRP in August 2013 as $0.00589, further fueling ongoing speculation.
Origin of the symbolism of the number 589
For those unfamiliar, the symbol 589 started with Bearableguy123, an anonymous figure active around 2018 who shared drawings and puzzles suggesting that XRP could reach $589.
The meme spread widely after a fake image of The Simpsons, showing Bart predicting that XRP would reach $589, circulated online. It resurfaced in 2024 when the community noticed that Brad Garlinghouse was following exactly 589 accounts on X. Meanwhile, accounts from Solana and MoonPay on X also recently mentioned the value.
However, these ideas remain community speculation. There is no confirmed evidence that the creators of Bitcoin, Ripple executives, or regulators intentionally inserted this number into the history of cryptocurrencies. The theory thrives only as a narrative spread by the community, without any verified basis.
Remember folks, that nothing stated here represents a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold assets.
Thank you all!
