San Francisco: In a major leadership update, Ripple Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, has announced he will step down from his day-to-day role at the end of 2025 after more than 13 years with the company. However, Schwartz emphasized that he is “not going away” from the XRP community and will continue contributing as CTO Emeritus and a board member.
A Personal Inflection Point
Making the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), Schwartz said it was time for him to take a step back after four decades in technology.
The time has come for me to step back from my day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO at the end of this year, he wrote. “But be warned, I’m not going away from the XRP community. You haven’t seen the last of me—now or ever.”
Schwartz, often referred to as one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), co-created it in 2011 alongside Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen. He described his journey at Ripple as “a wild ride”, reflecting on the company evolution from a small crypto startup to one of the biggest players in blockchain and cross-border payments.
What’s Next for Schwartz
After stepping back, Schwartz will:
- Join Ripple Board of Directors to guide the company long-term vision.
- Take on the title of CTO Emeritus, symbolizing his continuing association with Ripple.
- Spend more time on hands-on coding, including running his own XRPL node and publishing its data.
- Explore new XRP use cases, particularly in tokenization, stablecoins, and enterprise adoption.
He said he also hopes to spend more time with his family and return to personal hobbies.
Focus on Tokenization and Stablecoins
In a recent interview, Schwartz outlined what he believes are XRPL strongest future drivers:
- Tokenization of real-world assets such as property and trade finance.
- Institutional adoption of stablecoins for payments and settlements.
- Curated on-chain features tailored for enterprises and financial institutions.
There will be use cases where digital assets like XRP and Bitcoin make sense—where volatility is either an advantage or not a disadvantage—and other cases where a more stable token like RLUSD or another stablecoin will make more sense,” Schwartz explained.
Tackling Misconceptions About XRP
Schwartz also addressed one of the longest-running criticisms of Ripple: the belief that the company directly controls the XRP Ledger.
“By far, the biggest misconception is that Ripple somehow controls the ledger. The XRP Ledger has been running since 2012 with a global set of validators, most of them not affiliated with Ripple at all,” he clarified.
This point has been central to Ripple defense in its ongoing debates with regulators and critics, especially in the United States.
Schwartz decision to step aside from daily operations comes as Ripple continues to push for mainstream adoption of blockchain-based finance, expand its tokenization initiatives, and battle regulatory challenges.
For the XRP community, his shift marks the end of an era but not his exit. By staying on as CTO Emeritus, joining the board, and continuing his hands-on development work, Schwartz is expected to remain a driving force behind the future of the XRP Ledger.
As one of Ripple most influential voices, his legacy will continue to shape the next phase of blockchain innovation and financial decentralization.
