Former Ripple CTO Says He Had 26 Million XRP, Recalls Co-Founder Selling Bitcoin Not XRP

David Schwartz, aka JoelKatz and formerly Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, disclosed in a social media exchange this week that he once held 26 million XRP, significantly more than what he currently holds.

Responding to a question on X about the size of his personal XRP position, Schwartz offered an unexpected point of reference. “My idea of not a lot is still more than a million,” he wrote. “I once had 26 million XRP.”

The comment came in the context of a broader exchange about risk tolerance and crypto exposure among Ripple’s founding figures.

When asked whether Ripple co-founder Arthur Britto shares a similar approach to risk and asset exposure, Schwartz said the two had never directly discussed the topic. He added that his vague recollection from years ago was that Britto had been selling Bitcoin to cover personal expenses while holding onto most or all of his XRP.

“I vaguely remember him saying that he’s been selling Bitcoin to cover expenses and hadn’t sold any, or very little, XRP,” Schwartz wrote. “But that was many years ago and I have no idea what he’s done since then.”

Schwartz was careful to note the limits of his knowledge, stressing that the recollection was both vague and dated, and that Britto’s current holdings and strategy are unknown to him.

The exchange drew attention within the XRP community, given the rarity of public disclosures from Ripple’s founding figures about their personal crypto positions. Schwartz’s acknowledgement that he once held 26 million XRP, a sum worth tens of millions of dollars at current prices, added context to how his personal holdings have changed over the years since the network launched.

Neither Schwartz nor Ripple made any further comment on the matter at the time of publication.