Ex-Ripple CTO David Schwartz Clarifies Old BTC and ETH Trades
David Schwartz, a founding architect of the XRP Ledger and former Ripple technologist, has publicly addressed two trades that have lingered in community memory: selling roughly 40,000 ETH at about $1.05 and cashing out nearly all his Bitcoin before it climbed above $7,500. Schwartz confirmed the transactions and framed them as personal, early-stage choices tied to his circumstances at the time, not as statements about future price trajectories or project fundamentals. The clarification matters because it puts historical headlines in context and touches on a broader theme: many early contributors who held protocol-critical roles also made liquidity decisions that look costly in hindsight. While these disclosures are unlikely to move markets today, they influence community perception and underscore the human side of crypto history — decisions driven by personal needs rather than perfect foresight.