XPUNKS, the creators of the first NFT series on the XRP Ledger, have announced a move to compete with blockchain Solana.
The XPUNKS team communicated this move in a recent post on X, announcing the joining of Solana as a new beginning.
New beginning @solana pic.twitter.com/MolY6k84ON
— XPUNKS (@XPUNKNFTs) March 19, 2024
Questions have been raised as to whether they plan to abandon XRPL completely or facilitate a multi-chain approach. When asked, they noted that they had built a bridge. The team did not provide specific details about the decision, but noted that this is the case organizing an Ask Me Anything session on X to discuss the development.
While XPUNKS was at XRPL
Last month, the well-known American exchange Uphold, in collaboration with XPUNKS, introduced the minting of an exclusive NFT collection with the XRP Army Badge.
According to facts from XRP explorer Bithomp, XPUNKS traded 6,947 NFTs, generating sales totaling $9,648,793.76. This accounts for 35.64% of all NFT sales on the XRP ledger.
Meanwhile, sales chart data indicates that XPUNKS’ NFT sales have seen a steady decline since last year.
It takes departure to get recognition
Expectedly, the project’s decision to move to Solana has generated a lot of attention in the crypto community. Kaj Leroy, the founder of XPUNKS, sees the enormous commitment surrounding their departure from XRPL as a happy moment.
“As our announcement approaches 200,000 views, everyone in the XRP community is talking about us. That makes me happy,” Leroy said.
As our announcement approaches 200,000 views, everyone on XRP is talking about us
that makes me happy
— Kaj (@BradPunkhouse) March 20, 2024
Reacting to the announcement, some members of the crypto community said that XPUNKS made the right choice by migrating to Solana. X user JÖDES provided a broad perspective on the factors that could have led to XPUNKS’ decision.
According to JÖDES, “Working on the XRPL feels like drowning in a life jacket shop.” He claimed that the XRP ecosystem does not support projects financially, technically and socially.
As a member of the XRP community, he expressed dismay that departure is required to gain well-deserved recognition. He saw this as a disheartening reflection on the XRP community. He attributed responsibility to payments company Ripple, claiming: “Ripple lets it happen.”
JÖDES welcomes constructive criticism on his views from real builders within the XRP community. He also extended his best wishes to XPUNKS as they begin their journey with Solana.
XPUNKS founder agrees
Interestingly, the founder of XPUNKS vouched for the veracity of JÖDES’ claims: to report, “It’s the truth.”
Meanwhile, in response to Leroy’s agreement, another commenter tried to make the point that Ripple’s core focus has always been on payments. He suggested that it is not a negative reflection on Ripple if NFT projects prefer to explore other ecosystems.
Additionally, the commenter emphasized that Ripple’s primary goal is not to cater to every aspect of the blockchain space. Instead, the company is focusing on other efforts, which the commenter says is completely acceptable.