Ripple’s Enigmatic CTO David Schwartz Steps Back

David Schwartz, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, has revealed he will be stepping back from his day-to-day duties at the end of this year.

As part of the announcement, Schwartz noted that after spending over 13 years at Ripple, he is now reflecting on a career that spanned from his early days consulting for the NSA to watching Bitcoin (BTC) emerge, before joining Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen in building what would become one of the most influential blockchain networks.

Schwartz Bids CTO Role Farewell, But Not Ripple

Schwartz, affectionately known in the community as “JoelKatz,” expressed immense gratitude to Ripple, its employees, and the global XRP community. While stepping back as CTO, he emphasized that his departure is not a farewell. Instead, Schwartz intends to continue contributing as Ripple’s CTO Emeritus and will also join the company’s Board of Directors to help shape its long-term vision.

The Ripple executive also shared his excitement about reconnecting with hands-on work in the ecosystem. While the top dog has been taking stock of his life for the past 40 years, he mentioned that in recent months, he has been running his own XRPL node, experimenting with new use cases for XRP, and engaging directly with builders and developers.

“I truly enjoy this part — getting my hands dirty, talking to builders, coding for the pure love of it,” Schwartz noted, hinting at more independent contributions to come.

Gratitude to Ripple’s Leaders and Pioneers

His announcement included heartfelt thanks to Ripple’s leadership, particularly CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Monica Long, as well as co-founders Chris Larsen and Arthur Britto. He also praised Ripple’s engineering teams, ledger developers, and countless community members who continue to innovate on the XRPL.

With Dennis Jarosch, Ripple’s Senior Vice President of Engineering, among those stepping into greater leadership roles, Schwartz voiced confidence in the next generation to carry the light forward.

While Schwartz will now prioritize time with his children and grandchildren, as well as long-set-aside hobbies, he made clear that his presence in the XRP community is far from over.

“You haven’t seen the last of me — now, or ever,” he said.

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