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A commentator from the NFA Research Group recently argued that the well-known “589” idea tied to XRP first appeared in Bitcoin’s early history.
In a recent video, he suggested that several dates, numbers, and regulatory filings all highlight what he sees as a deliberate pattern that surfaced long before XRP holders turned 589 into a community symbol.
589 Linked to Bitcoin on CNBC
During the commentary, the pundit reacted to a CNBC segment featuring Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. During the interview, CNBC displayed an image of Bitcoin placed on a U.S. dollar bill with a serial number that included “589.”
The researcher insisted that this detail looked intentional rather than accidental but mentioned that no one should expect CNBC to confirm it. He argued that the moment was an almost impossible coincidence, crediting fellow community member XRP Drops for spotting it.
According to him, although the 589 meme belongs to the XRP community, the incident with CNBC placed the number under Bitcoin, not XRP. This detail pushed him to revisit his earlier claim that Bitcoin and XRP work as complementary assets.
Bitcoin and XRP Working as Complementary Assets
He said Bitcoin’s proof-of-work system creates value through energy use, while the XRP Ledger’s energy-efficient consensus allows fast and clean transfer of that value.
The pundit then called attention to an earlier video where he argued that the colors of the Bitcoin and Ripple logos resemble ionized liquid gold and silver, which, to him, shows their roles as store-of-value and payment assets. He said these details convinced him that one coordinated vision may have led to the development of both networks from the beginning.
Speaking further, the researcher highlighted details from Bitcoin’s early days. Notably, the first public forum post containing Bitcoin’s source code appeared on May 8, 2009, which he referenced 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 riddles, could have created Bitcoin and also planted the 5-8-9 idea as a hidden signature.
The pundit followed this with another date connection. For context, Satoshi Nakamoto sent his final known email on April 23, 2011, saying he would move on to other things. Exactly 5 years, 8 months, and 9 days later, Brad Garlinghouse became Ripple’s CEO.
Alleged Regulatory Connection
Moreover, the pundit also linked the May 8, 2009 release of Bitcoin’s source code to another event. Specifically, the SEC issued Release No. 34-59895, a document he described as the regulatory foundation for future digital-asset products, including Bitcoin ETFs.
Considering these pointers, the researcher claimed that the connections show that 5-8-9 appeared in Bitcoin and the wider crypto market long before the XRP community adopted it.
Meanwhile, responding to his commentary, an XRP investor also pointed out that market analytics resource Coinlore lists XRP’s earliest trading price in August 2013 as $0.00589, further adding to the ongoing speculations.
Origin of the 589 Symbolism
For the uninitiated, the 589 symbol began with Bearableguy123, an anonymous figure active around 2018 who released drawings and riddles that hinted at XRP reaching $589.
The meme spread widely after a fake Simpsons image showing Bart predicting XRP at $589 circulated online. It surfaced again in 2024 when the community noticed that Brad Garlinghouse followed exactly 589 accounts on X. Meanwhile, Solana and MoonPay accounts on X also recently referenced the figure.
However, these ideas remain community speculations. No confirmed evidence shows that Bitcoin’s creators, Ripple executives, or regulators intentionally embedded the number into crypto history. The theory only thrives as a community-driven narrative without any verified basis.