David Schwartz, Ripple’s longtime Chief Technology Officer and co-creator of the XRP Ledger, will step down from his role at the end of 2025. His departure marks the end of an era for Ripple but not for his involvement in the XRP (XRP-USD) ecosystem.
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Schwartz Reflects on His Time at Ripple
Known in the crypto world as “JoelKatz,” Schwartz confirmed the move in a post on X, citing a desire to spend more time with family.
“It’s been one of the greatest honors and experiences of my life, second only to my family,” he wrote. “The time has come for me to step back from my day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO … but be warned, I’m not going away from the XRP community. You haven’t seen the last of me.”
Schwartz’s career has stretched from consulting for the U.S. National Security Agency to coding in the early days of Bitcoin. His 13-year run at Ripple made him one of the most recognizable and influential voices in the XRP community.
Schwartz Accepts New Role Inside Ripple
Although stepping down as CTO, Schwartz will remain closely tied to Ripple’s future. Co-founder Chris Larsen asked him to join the company’s board of directors, a role he accepted. He will also hold the title of CTO Emeritus, occasionally returning to assist Ripple teams.
Importantly, Schwartz says he will dedicate more time to building directly on the XRP Ledger itself. “I truly enjoy this part. Getting my hands dirty, talking to builders, coding for the pure love of it,” he said.
He also praised Ripple’s leadership, including CEO Brad Garlinghouse and President Monica Long, while expressing confidence in Ripple’s engineering team led by Dennis Jarosch and in the broader XRP developer community.
Schwartz Prepares for the Next Chapter
Now in his sixties, Schwartz said the decision was driven by personal reasons. “I’m really looking forward to spending more time with the kids and grandkids and going back to the hobbies I set aside,” he wrote.
Even so, he emphasized that his influence on the XRP Ledger will not end. Schwartz promised more updates soon on independent XRPL projects and said he plans to remain visible at community events around the world.
Ripple CEO Garlinghouse called Schwartz a “true OG in crypto” and a “legend,” adding, “We are all forever grateful… and in awe of your immense impact. Wait… does this mean you’re my boss now!?!”
Ripple Faces Life after Schwartz
Schwartz’s move comes just weeks after Ripple resolved its five-year battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The settlement ended the $1.3 billion lawsuit that had loomed over the company and gave Ripple a clearer path forward.
As Ripple begins a new chapter without the SEC case hanging over it, it will also move forward without one of its original architects in the CTO seat. Schwartz’s step back marks the close of a major chapter, but his promise to stay involved suggests he will continue to shape the XRP Ledger’s next phase.
At the time of writing, XRP is sitting at $2.9294.
