Jed McCaleb, a co-founder of Ripple and Stellar, is investing his cryptocurrency wealth into space exploration. He has started a new company called Vast Space, which aims to launch Haven-1, the first commercial space station, by 2026. McCaleb, who made billions from selling XRP, is expected to provide significant funding for this project.
Max Haot, the CEO of Vast Space, stated that Haven-1 is not intended for tourism. Instead, it will focus on creating a productive environment for work, safety, and communication. The station will support government astronauts and privately funded missions with important goals in orbit. If successful, it could replace the aging International Space Station and compete for NASA contracts.
McCaleb is dedicated to this mission, even though he risks losing up to $1 billion if it fails. He believes the long-term vision of human life beyond Earth is worth the risk. He noted that few people are willing to take such a gamble.
The XRP community has mixed reactions to McCaleb’s new venture. After leaving Ripple in 2013 due to disputes, he sold his XRP holdings from 2014 to 2022, totaling about $3.3 billion. Some XRP supporters criticized him, claiming his sales harmed the project’s value.
In defense, McCaleb explained that he was open about leaving Ripple before selling his tokens, allowing others to act first. He clarified that he did not force anyone to switch to Stellar Lumens, although it was an option.
Despite the criticism, Chris Larsen, another Ripple co-founder, supports the space initiative. He praised Vast as a symbol of American innovation and expressed hope for its success. Larsen believes that such ambitious projects are essential for the country.
