• Ripple’s long-time CTO David Schwartz will step down from daily duties after 13 years but will remain closely connected to the company and XRP community.
• Ripple leaders highlight Schwartz’s pivotal role in innovations like XRPL and core crypto infrastructure.

David “JoelKatz” Schwartz, one of the most recognizable names in crypto, announced he will step down from his day-to-day duties as Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer by the end of this year.

In a post reflecting on his 40-year career, Schwartz shared how his path took him from consulting for the NSA to watching Bitcoin’s early stages before co-developing the XRP Ledger with Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen.

He described his 13-year journey at Ripple as one of the greatest honors of his life, second only to family.

Schwartz emphasized that while he is stepping back from his executive role, he is not leaving the XRP community. He will continue experimenting with XRPL, spinning up his own node, and researching new XRP use cases beyond Ripple’s primary focus.

As CTO Emeritus, Schwartz will still visit Ripple offices and has accepted a position on Ripple’s Board of Directors to help guide the company’s long-term mission.

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Innovator Behind Core XRPL Features

Ripple leadership hailed from the announcement. Monica Long, the President of Ripple, cited Schwartz’s creations like Proof of Association, decentralized exchange (DEX) functions, smart escrow, and ongoing auction mechanisms in AMMs.

She credited him for having set a foundation of the XRP community and qualified his ingenuity, humor, and humility as traits that defined Ripple’s culture.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse referred to a true OG of crypto, Schwartz, as having “eyes to see what others did not.”

He expressed gratitude to him for an “enormous contribution” to Ripple, XRP Ledger, and the wider industry as a whole and quipped about whether or not his new role as a board member makes him his boss.

Confidence in Ripple’s Next Generation

Schwartz indicated that he is totally confident about Ripple’s new wave of leadership, consisting of Dennis Jarosch, its Senior Vice President of Engineering, and numerous others among XRP holders.

He testified appreciation to Brad Garlinghouse, Monica Long, and co-founders Chris Larsen and Arthur Britto as well.

Schwartz is going to spend more time with his family and keep interacting directly with developers, builders, and the XRP community.

His replacement is a significant milestone for Ripple, but it is an indication of continuation for XRPL innovation under new leadership waves.

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