David Schwartz to Leave Daily Ripple CTO Role in 2025
- David Schwartz announced his plan to step back as Ripple’s CTO at the end of 2025.
- He will remain active as CTO Emeritus and will join Ripple’s board of directors.
- Brad Garlinghouse calls Schwartz a “true OG in crypto” and praises his Ripple contributions.
In a major leadership change, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David “JoelKatz” Schwartz announced he will step back from daily duties at the end of 2025. Schwartz confirmed in a Tuesday post on X that, while leaving his full-time role, he will continue to support Ripple as CTO Emeritus and serve on its board of directors. He made it clear that his departure from daily operations does not mark an exit from the XRP community.
Schwartz Reflects on Career and Ripple Tenure
Schwartz recounted his career journey spanning four decades, beginning with consulting for the National Security Agency (NSA) and then observing the earliest developments of Bitcoin. His career took a pivotal turn when he worked with Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen to code the XRP Ledger.
He joined Ripple in 2011 as a cryptographer and became CTO in 2018. Over the years, he contributed to building the XRP Ledger, decentralized exchange functionalities, and Proof of Association protocols. He described his tenure at Ripple as one of the greatest honours of his life, second only to his family.
“The time has come for me to step back from my day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO at the end of this year,” Schwartz said. “I’m really looking forward to spending more time with the kids and grandkids and going back to the hobbies I set aside. However, be warned, I’m not leaving the XRP community. You haven’t seen the last of me (now, or ever).”
In recent months, Schwartz has been running his own XRP Ledger node, publishing output data, and exploring use cases for XRP beyond Ripple’s focus. He said he enjoyed “getting my hands dirty, talking to builders, and coding for the pure love of it,” adding that more updates would follow soon.
Ripple Leadership Transition and SEC Backdrop
Ripple confirmed Schwartz’s honorary role and his joining the company’s board. Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse praised him on X, calling him a “true OG in crypto”, while assuring that Schwartz will continue contributing to Ripple’s vision.
The announcement arrives as Ripple emerges from its long-standing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The case began in December 2020, under then-SEC Chair Jay Clayton, and centered on whether XRP should be classified as a security. The litigation lasted years, with appeals shaping the process, and concluded in 2025 with a court-approved settlement.
Related: Ripple CTO Defends Bitcoin as Key Financial Base Layer
XRP Market Snapshot and Future Outlook
XRP is trading at $2.84, a 1.4% decline at press time, with an intraday high of $2.88. It has a market capitalization of $170.2 billion and a volume-to-market capitalization ratio of 2.97%; the 24-hour trading volume is $5.06 billion.
This development coincides with the transition in leadership at Ripple, providing contextual explanations for XRP’s price movements during the period of regulatory clarity and organizational change. Hence, as Schwartz remains engaged with development and strategy, the question arises: how would Schwartz’s stepping back from daily operations affect Ripple’s development and strategic initiatives?
