Ripple’s David Schwartz Dumps 23 Million XRP, Nearly All Bitcoin and Ethereum
Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has revealed that he sold nearly all his cryptocurrency holdings over the years, dramatically reducing his exposure to XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. The disclosure highlights a significant shift in the investment strategy of one of the XRP Ledger’s original architects.
Schwartz confirmed that his XRP holdings declined from approximately 26 million tokens to 3 million. He also reduced his Bitcoin holdings from 1,500 BTC to just 1 BTC, while his Ethereum balance dropped from 40,000 ETH to only 6 ETH.
Schwartz Cuts XRP Holdings by More Than 88%
In a November 10 post on X, Schwartz disclosed the scale of his cryptocurrency sales, confirming that he had significantly reduced his positions across three major digital assets.
His XRP holdings fell by approximately 23 million tokens, representing an 88.5% reduction from their previous peak. Meanwhile, his Bitcoin holdings declined by more than 99.9%, and his Ethereum holdings dropped by approximately 99.98%.
However, the sales did not occur through a single transaction. Schwartz gradually reduced his cryptocurrency exposure over several years, making the disclosure a reflection of long-term portfolio management rather than an immediate market exit.
Why Ripple’s Former CTO Sold His Crypto
Schwartz attributed his decisions primarily to his low tolerance for financial risk. Despite benefiting from cryptocurrency’s long-term growth, he has consistently preferred securing profits over maintaining substantial exposure to volatile assets.
He previously explained that he and his wife agreed to sell portions of their cryptocurrency holdings whenever prices reached new all-time highs. Furthermore, Schwartz said his XRP sales followed written plans established with legal counsel at least 30 days before execution.
The Ripple veteran also disclosed that he sold approximately 2.5 million XRP during 2025. Those transactions reportedly resulted in around $1.7 million in capital gains taxes.
Ripple Stock Remains a Major Investment
Despite selling most of his cryptocurrency, Schwartz continues to hold a substantial stake in Ripple. His remaining company shares provide exposure to Ripple’s business performance, although private equity and XRP tokens represent different investments.
The disclosure comes amid concerns about XRP’s price performance and broader cryptocurrency market volatility. Some investors may interpret the sales negatively, but Schwartz has emphasized that his decisions reflect personal risk preferences.
Importantly, Schwartz has not disclosed the complete timeline or proceeds from his cryptocurrency sales. His comments therefore do not establish that the transactions contributed to XRP’s recent market weakness.
