It all started with a Bitcoin ‘Lightning Torch’ that needed to pass from 1 person to the next adding 10.000 Satoshi... The experiment was intended to show the value of bitcoin’s lightning network but due to missing ‘incoming’ liquidity, it all kind of stopped.

This explained in a little bit easier language .... don't quote me on it .... if you wanted to receive the torch, if you wanted to use lightning, you needed to have money in a channel with the last bearer of the torch. Money needs to be present on one side, but it also needs to sit at the other side, at the sender. Looking for new channels became too hard and whether a little above or below 150 dollars, priced at THAT time, was the end of the Lightning Torch...

"The end of the Torch" ..... "The End" ..... "The Beginning" !!!!

We are in 2019 .... March 2019:

There was .... Dave Jones (@Dave_Jonez_02) .... Tweeting about the problems....

and .... There was .... Shawn Schaeffer (@ShawnSchaeffe10) .... Tweeting we should try this with XRP. If this NEEDS to be done it should be with XRP, showing the Crypto World how it is REALLY done!!!

The story was out, this was the beginning of a new torch. Things needed to be planned, or actually, you did not need to plan, you just needed to find a person willing to pay 1 XRP more than the current holder of the XRPTorch

1 XRP = 29/30 cents at the moment of writing ; fun to read THAT little fact in 2023 !!!

The XRPTorch had the following holders:

@ShawnSchaeffe10, @JamesMalpass12, @BirdDog1227, @XTRA_HRDCOR_XRP, @mhschmidt2, @XrpYoda, @Chris53797093, @sandwest79, @1000bonesXrp, @204_712, @ManuelittoC, @stephenchip, @Ali_G_Ali_, @RTB_Dutchy, @annaliz_george, @jungleincxrp, @RobertLe88, @kryptonian_23, @digitalassetbuy, @C3_Nik, @WietseWind, @Mr_HvD, @Tom_Kuster, @Hodor, @Sentosumosaba, @Bob_Way, @ahopebailie, @nixerFFM, @baltazar223, @WietseWind, @empatogen, @jtwesmann ..

You probably guessed it already...., I received the XRPTorch from @jtwesmann on April 11. I was number 33 and received it with 39 XRP; @ManuelittoC was generous!!!

Together with @BirdDog1227, I had lengthy talks what we could do ..... to even show how awesome XRP is, how fast it goes and why the #XRPTorch is FAST FASTER FASTEST.

I would actually keep the #XRPTorch and bring it to the meet-up in Amersfoort, that was last week and ultimately, try to give it to a important person, in order to bring it back "home" !!!!

But what if we get MORE people, show how fast it goes in one day, give it to everybody that wants it, and claim it back, in order to send it to a next person...

The plan was born.... Man on a Mission and I am LOVING it.... as I am ... "The Keeper of the Flame" !!!

What if, For This Day, we create a physical XRPTorch, what if we can make it more of an emotional thing - I know the whole story already, so therefore: EMOTIONAL - "something in your hand" thing.

So, together with my 3.5 year old son we went to the shops bought fly paper, stickers, glue, cardboard red, black, yellow and tiger print/ leopard print stuff, because my son like it, a tea light on batteries and we went back home, to be incredible home improvement builders for the XRPTorch. And there it was, build by the two biggest friends together, the XRPTorch:

Saturday, April 20th 2019, the weather was awesome, and I was getting into Amersfoort. Besides a wicked meet-up with a lot of Crypto - XRP - Lovers, I had another task, getting the XRPTorch around and getting it back every single time....

I was sitting with a smile, this was going to be a magical day. Very important though, in order NOT to be called a scammer, screenshots proof of payment, showing you pay/ got paid 1 XRP more than the previous bearer; me in many cases, hopefully. All for a greater cause; I was happy, smiling:

Most important, is you reader, I want you to be part of this journey, sooner or later, you WILL also get the XRPTorch, but now, for a moment, close your eyes, ..... go back to last Saturday, April 20th, 2019, and think you are at a beach in Amersfoort .....3, .....2, .....1 and you are there. You see me sitting with the XRPTorch, it could be yours, but first ....

XRPBooBoo was the first "new" bearer ... ; needed to screenshot everything to make sure, everybody paid, paid more, and was allowed to hold the XRPTorch, before giving it back....

@XRPBooBoo wanted to have the XRPTorch, there was no doubt, WANTED the XRPTorch and so it happened. We both got our phones out, 100% battery, and used our XRPTipBot APP, and I have used it before, but W O W, can I please give some more credit to Wietse Wind (@wietsewind) and all the XRPTipbot products, wow amazing. Wanted to see it going from 1 phone to the other, but too late. So we were allowed to have the following picture:

Would be a day filled with pictures, people with sun on their skin, holding the XRPTorch, made by a little man at home, and a phone in the other. Proud lifting it .... Physically holding it, can you feel it ....

I paid her 40 XRP and got 41 XRP back

This was going to be sooooo cool, I was the lucky one, getting the XRPTorch up to speed, woaw!!!! How many people, well including me 10, no 20, well, let's see.... I wanted to have F U N ! ! ! !

One other celebrated XRPCommunity member, coming from Germany, was Salvo Leone (@sleone_76), the Crypto StickerMan!!! He liked the idea, was not too sure about the picture, but was able to convince him it was all for the better of it.... the XRPTorch trail....

So 42 XRP to Salvo and 43 XRP back.... how difficult can it get ... no, no, the question is not how difficult.... how fast can it get.... Wanted to take a screenshot, seeing it change,.... well.... no time! So this is the result of my second Torch Bearer:

Number 3 and 4 were standing close to each other. @RippleNL was next, followed by Matt Hamilton (@HammerToe). @RippleNL needed to go fast as he was on his way to Shanghai, allowed to give a lexture.... woaw, you go buddy!!!
And Matt H., we all know him, especially the Dutch as he travelled with his mobile home all the way from the UK!!!

44 XRP given to @RippleNL and 45 XRP back; 46 XRP to Matt and 47 XRP back:

So I gave XRPBooBoo 40 XRP and now I received 47 XRP Back, was going pretty good, 10 ..... tshhh, .... EASY!!!

The best part of it all though, only smiling faces, ONLY smiling faces; go back up, look at those faces, smiling.... oops you got caught.... saw you smiling .....;-)

Walking around... oops bought a coke with .... XRP,.... so easy, just people talking about Crypto, learning about Crypto, understanding crypto.... What if everybody understands crypto... mass adoption.... meet ups of a couple 1.000 people, that would be such a revelation.

Back to the task .... back to the smiling people, paying... still smiling...

@Hofmanovitsj1; we have 'known' each other now for a year; we met at the Money 20/20 meet-up a year ago; when David Schwartz joined us in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It was a treat, lots of fun and that was where people started to learn!!

Once again, two phones side by side, seeing one number decrease and one increase ..... and back increasing again. It is so much fun to see this, two phones next to each other... it goes SOOOO quick. Thanks @Hofmanovitsj1 you are part of XRPTorch history.

@Hofmanovitsj1 will be mentioned again; at a later stage!!!

Suddenly 2 gentlemen approached me; they also wanted to know what the XRPTorch was; followed, after explaining, money going from 1 account to another; followed by a set of pictures. @wisecryptos was part of history.

It was interesting looking at people, interacting with each other. Having a good time. People actually took the time to listen to each other and others wanted to inspect the XRPTorch even more:

At this time it was actually people approaching me, instead me asking, to be part of the XRPTorch history. We definitely want a much bigger list; we want to last for at least a year, with many people holding the Torch.

@DevNullProd,.... if you do not follow this handle on Twitter, please do, shares a lot of good knowledge. Lots of coding decoding knowledge, not your regular person to follow. Makes me even happier to have this person lined up in the list of Torch bearers. And watching the picture, @DevNullProd was a happy camper himself. I had to send 51 XRP:

Picture taken and @zerpenator came up to me. This person I also know for a long time already. He was talking to @alexKJanssen. Explaining the whole XRPTipbot, so I just handled a couple in one run:

A nice "action picture" was taken:

Alex will also be talked about a bit more later ....

@0346Hamza was next, what a joy this man. He smiled all the time and he had a great day. Loved all the talking about XRP and learned a lot from many people.
During Brad Kimes' streams (@BakkupBradley) I got to know a lady that goes by @Fbrtnff. Always nice, polite, asking people to like and subscribe, definitely a potential XRPTorch bearer .... Well the pictures are proof....

Next to @Fbrtnff, @Cryptonewest18 was sitting. This young lady was really nice and wanted to be part of the XRPTorch history. Nervous as is, I tried to get het on board, so I send her 60 XRP, so 20 more than @XRPBooboo, who was the first one in the morning..., went pretty fast..... BTC ..... would have taken 2 weeks!!! I received 61 back and the picture is the proof ...... well, proof you have to deal with !! @Cryptonewest18 did not want a full portrait, so you have to settle with this:

Suddenly @xrpbooboo approach me and said she wanted an XRPZoo/ CryptoBirdDog (@BirdDog1227) live stream with me; she wanted a live swap of the XRPTorch, so I needed to get a person to do so.....

well, I did not have to think for a long time, it was going to be: Viacheslav Bakshaev(@Bakshayev), the CEO of Bithomp, who attended the meeting with big news, you can read about this in part I of the Amersfoort Meet-up:
https://xrpcommunity.blog/xrp-community-meetup-amersfoort-nl/

Viacheslav agreed and so we did; during a livestream, I send 62 XRP to Viacheslav showing the world, what we already knew, how fast it is to send XRP!!! Viacheslav needed to send back, only thing, the account was setup with 20 XRP max. So we needed to do 4 trades,.... these 4 transactions,..... so fast, and every single one, excitement... I really enjoyed doing this live 'interview', showing the world EVERYBODY uses Wietse Wind's XRPTipbot and the use is soooo easy, what if the world would know about it, and people would 'tip" a little bit more; it would look much nicer!!!

and if there was a moment, I did not want to look for a new person for the XRPTorch it was NOW!! During the interview we had a lot of spectators and they wanted the torch. A group of 4 all wanting the XRPTorch, and a physical picture with THE Torch!

The next 4 were: @Husstege, @Djmiez, @mvdb01 and @mh9412; what characters these were.

I had to send 63 XRP to @Husstege, incredible, we are BUILDING history!!!, he send me 64 back and of course wanted the Flame in a picture as proof. @djmiez was the next and I send him 65, to get 66 back. Picture time and .... NEXT

Time for @mvdb01; story on its own. He wanted to be part of the XRPTorch so bad, he was waiting all excited, and when it happened, he received my XRP (67) he dropped his phone and actually broke the glass. I felt sorry, but they good thing tho,.... with a broken glass you can STILL send XRP, amazing!!

@mh9412, interesting situation.... 69 XRP he received from me ....and let's write it this way...... he likes the song, the year and ......... he just likes the number!!!

Jeroen was next (@jeroen_pot), and Luc followed (@luc_derksen)

Jeroen received 71 XRP and I received 72 back. I send 73 to Luc and he send me 74 back. That went very "Swift"!!!

The Next Owners were, @valinorder, @KevinBaard, @Fenkgdi2815361, @Leapingjag and @jvgroot1. The end of the day was nearing so I was happy I got a lot bearers in. Long day, started early, but it was amazing such an experience:

@Leapingjag was a special one, he wanted to know exactly what the Torch was all about and he wanted to know a lot of Blockchain. Was a lot of fun to talk with him. So he also wanted to be a TorchBearer and so we did:

He liked it so much, that I was DM'd the next day and he asked for the picture we took. I sent it to him and now he uses it as his Twitter avatar; pretty cool stuff!!!

That was pretty much the end of the day; we had diner and then we went for drinks in the city. Was really fun and that is were it had to happen......

The last two moves of the XRPTorch: @haydentiff and @nbougalis

The plan was to get the XRPTorch HOME, RIPPLE Headquarters!!!!!

So, I went to Tiffany and we moved the Torch. She wanted to share it, so she took a picture with more people. It turned out to be a great picture.

And then Nik Bougalis. I spoke with him during the day, he really liked the story, he really like the physical Torch made by my son. A story to share among the XRPCommunity. He was more than welcome to take it with him to pass it along Ripple, starting with David Schwartz......

I wrote it above, I needed to write a little more about @Hofmanovitsj1 and @alexKJanssen. With so many numbers, the amounts got mixed up and both still needed to pay 1 XRP. They were very cool about it and paid an additional XRP, no problem whatsoever.

What is going to happen with the money??? At a certain time, the amount is going to be really big. It could be cashed out and put it all on red, doubling it..... but that is not going to happen. The money is going to be donated to a fund that is not known yet.

All Torch Bearers will cast a vote to where the funds will be donated to, so that hopefully will take some time!!

Transparency is key, so is this is scam, did I give myself extra XRP, not at all:

For administrations purposes, all the XRPTorch Bearer's:

@ShawnSchaeffe10, @JamesMalpass12, @BirdDog1227, @XTRA_HRDCOR_XRP, @mhschmidt2, @XrpYoda, @Chris53797093, @sandwest79, @1000bonesXrp, @204_712, @ManuelittoC, @stephenchip, @Ali_G_Ali_, @RTB_Dutchy, @annaliz_george, @jungleincxrp, @RobertLe88, @kryptonian_23, @digitalassetbuy, @C3_Nik, @WietseWind, @Mr_HvD, @Tom_Kuster, @Hodor, @Sentosumosaba, @Bob_Way, @ahopebailie, @nixerFFM, @baltazar223, @WietseWind, @empatogen, @jtwesmann
@xrptwin,@XRPBooBoo, @xrptwin, @sleone_76, @xrptwin, @RippleNL, @xrptwin, @HammerToe, @xrptwin, @Hofmanovitsj1, @xrptwin, @wisecryptos, @xrptwin, @DevNullProd, @xrptwin, @zerpenator, @xrptwin, @alexKJanssen, @xrptwin, @0346Hamza, @xrptwin, @Fbrtnff, @xrptwin, @Cryptonewest18, @xrptwin, @Bakshayev, @xrptwin, @Husstege , @xrptwin, @Djmiez, @xrptwin, @mvdb01, @xrptwin, @mh9412, @xrptwin, @jeroen_pot, @xrptwin, @luc_derksen, @xrptwin, @valinorder, @xrptwin, @KevinBaard, @xrptwin, @Fenkgdi2815361, @xrptwin, @Leapingjag, @xrptwin, @jvgroot1, @xrptwin, @haydentiff, @xrptwin, @nbougalis

In total there are 84 XRTorch Holders - 58 different ones!! What a Saturday!

So there is just one more thing left to write:

We are ready for the picture of David and Brad with the XRPTorch !!!