Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz Cuts Holdings

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has disclosed that he reduced his cryptocurrency holdings significantly, cutting his XRP balance from approximately 26 million to 3 million tokens, according to CryptoNews. The disclosures drew criticism from holders amid falling token prices.

Portfolio Reductions

Schwartz stated that his holdings were trimmed across multiple major digital assets. Alongside the XRP reduction, his Bitcoin holdings fell from approximately 1,500 BTC to one BTC, and his Ethereum holdings declined from around 40,000 ETH to six ETH. Schwartz disclosed selling 2.5 million XRP during 2025, resulting in roughly $1.7 million in capital gains tax. He attributed the sales to personal discomfort with financial risk.

Execution and Rules

To address potential concerns regarding trading activities, Schwartz noted that he arranges his XRP sales through a written plan agreed upon with an attorney at least 30 days before execution. This procedure is designed to prevent accusations of trading on nonpublic information, such as knowledge concerning potential XRP Ledger bugs. Schwartz stepped away from day-to-day CTO duties at the end of 2025 to become CTO Emeritus.

Key facts

• Schwartz reduced his XRP holdings from approximately 26 million to 3 million tokens.
• He sold 2.5 million XRP in 2025, generating about $1.7 million in capital gains tax.
• Bitcoin holdings fell from 1,500 BTC to one BTC, and Ethereum holdings dropped from 40,000 ETH to six ETH.
• Sales are arranged through written plans agreed with an attorney at least 30 days in advance.