David Schwartz, one of the chief architects of XRP Ledger and a prominent figure in the crypto industry, is stepping down from his role as Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer. After serving more than 13 years in the company, he is scaling back his responsibilities at Ripple.
Ripple CTO Bids Farewell
In an X post, Schwartz shared that he is retiring from his day-to-day responsibilities as Ripple’s CTO, but he does not intend to leave the company completely. Instead, he plans to continue to be an active member of Ripple, with a different role.
Schwartz said, “The time has come for me to step back from my day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO at the end of this year. I’m really looking forward to spending more time with the kids and grandkids and going back to the hobbies I set aside.”
Schwartz Joins Ripple’s Board of Directors
Schwartz, who joined the company in 2011 as a cryptographer and was promoted to CTO in 2018, is now joining Ripple’s board of directors. He will continue to support the company’s mission and long-term vision, as he intends to remain an active participant in the XRP community.
Schwartz wrote, “I’ll still be in and out of the Ripple office as CTO Emeritus, and as my last task at Ripple, Chris asked me to join Ripple’s Board of Directors to continue supporting the company’s mission and long-term vision…and I accept!”
Ripple CEO Calls Schwartz the OG of Crypto
Schwartz showed his appreciation to the RippleX team, ledger developers, community members, and the Senior Vice President of Engineering, Dennis Jarosch, in his farewell message. Meanwhile, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Ripple President Monica Long expressed their gratitude to Schwartz for his many contributions to the team.
Garlinghouse said, “The smartest (and maybe the funniest) person I know. A true OG in crypto with the conviction and vision to see what others couldn’t – you are a legend.”
