In a world where symbols often speak stronger than words, a recent article of the CEO of Ripple Brad Garlinghouse praising the “Skull of Satoshi” triggered an unexpected reaction.
While Ripple’s gesture to give Satoshi’s skull to the Bitcoin community seemed to be a peace offer, analyst Ashley Prosper saw something darker. His response suggests a deeper concern about Bitcoin long -term security, government’s actions and increase in discomfort.
A symbol of unit – or a sign of problem?
In a recent post tweet, the CEO of Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse, spoke of the famous skull of Satoshi, a sculpture which began as a symbol of criticism towards the energy consumption of Bitcoin. But over time, it has become a sign of Bitcoin’s endurance.
Garlinghouse said that as the blockchain technology matures, it is time for different cryptography communities – such as BTC, XRP and others – to work together.
To show this unit, Ripple donated Satoshi’s skull to the Bitcoin community. It was recently exhibited at the Bitcoin 2025 conference and now has a permanent place in Bitcoin Museum in Nashville.
But not everyone has seen him as a sign full of hope.
The analyst raises the red flags
In a tweet response, Ashley Prosper, XRP support, shared a different view. She described the Garlinghouse position as “bad omen”, highlighting a list of disturbing events that seem to build a dangerous story around Bitcoin.
One of the largest is quantum computer science. While many in the world of technology say that quantum threats are decades, Ashley compared this logic to the way experts have once minimized the North Korea missile program, and we all know how it turned out.
She also noted something strange that happens behind the scenes: the US government would have classified its Bitcoin audit. It is not the kind of decision that strengthens public confidence.
And to top it off, Michael Saylor, one of the greatest defenders of Bitcoin, rejected proof of reservations as a bad idea.
Grow the story
Although Garlinghouse’s message concerned unity and growth, Prosper thinks that these growing red flags can point out something more serious.
It sees an increasing concern about the safety and future transparency of Bitcoin, in particular with powerful voices minimizing significant checks.