XRP Update: Did Former Ripple CTO David Schwartz Sell 2.5 Million XRP?

David Schwartz is a well-known XRP figure because he is Ripple’s former chief technology officer and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger. His comments sit in the long-running debate around how early crypto insiders handle holdings in assets they helped build. The fact that he discussed the sale on X puts his personal portfolio decisions in public view rather than keeping them private.

For XRP holders and developers, Schwartz’s disclosure shows that a prominent insider has been reducing exposure rather than accumulating it. That does not change how the XRP Ledger works, but it can shape how people read the incentives of a long-time builder who is still visible in the ecosystem. It also highlights the difference between holding a token and holding equity in a company, since Schwartz contrasted XRP with Ripple stock in his comments.

The broader tension here is between the public role of crypto founders and their right to manage personal risk like any other holder. XRP has always carried the extra weight of being tied to a specific company and its early team, so sales by a co-creator attract attention beyond the size of the transaction. The disclosure also underlines how crypto wealth can become taxable at scale in the United States, with Schwartz saying he paid $1.7 million in capital gains tax.

XRP rose 1.7% in the 4 hours after the first headline, after falling 1.7% in the 2 hours before.

47 prices, one every 30 minutes