David Schwartz, one of Ripple’s most influential figures and a central architect of the XRP Ledger, has revealed he will be stepping down as Chief Technology Officer after more than a decade in the role. In a post shared on X, Schwartz said he intends to leave his day-to-day responsibilities at the end of the year but emphasized that his involvement with the XRP ecosystem is far from over.
Looking back on his four-decade career, which includes time at the National Security Agency and firsthand experience of Bitcoin’s formative period, Schwartz described his years at Ripple as among the most meaningful of his professional life. He credited the company’s leadership—naming CEO Brad Garlinghouse, President Monica Long, co-founder Chris Larsen, and RippleX teams—as well as the wider developer and XRP Ledger communities for turning ambitious ideas into a thriving network. He also highlighted Arthur Britto’s “visionary contributions” and praised the dedication of those who have helped build and sustain XRP’s infrastructure.
Although he will no longer serve as CTO, Schwartz announced he will take on the role of CTO Emeritus and accept a seat on Ripple’s Board of Directors. This shift, he explained, will give him the opportunity to focus on more hands-on work with the XRP Ledger and its developer base. “I’m excited to roll up my sleeves again,” he wrote, noting that he is currently running his own XRP Ledger node, sharing its data, and experimenting with new applications for XRP beyond what Ripple is already pursuing.
Schwartz expressed confidence in the next generation of leadership, including Senior Vice President of Engineering Dennis Jarosch, to guide the platform’s continued evolution. He said he plans to remain a visible presence at community events around the world to maintain direct contact with developers and supporters.
The announcement marks a significant moment for Ripple and the XRP community, as Schwartz has been widely regarded as a steady hand behind the company’s technology strategy since its early years. Yet his new focus suggests a shift from executive oversight to grassroots innovation—one that could energize developers and open fresh paths for XRP use cases. With Schwartz now combining a board-level perspective with active experimentation on the ledger, Ripple’s technology future may be entering a new chapter.
