Ripple's David Schwartz: Being CTO Is Pretty Wild

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available. Read U.TODAY on Google News In a recent tweet, Ripple CTO David Schwartz revealed something about his role at Ripple that he rarely ever talks about. Advertisement Schwartz, alongside the duo of Jed McCaleb and Arthur Britto, began developing XRP Ledger (XRPL) in 2011. Fascinated by Bitcoin, they set out to create a better version that improved upon its limitations with the goal of creating a digital asset that was more sustainable and built specifically for payments. XRP Ledger was launched the following year, in mid 2012. As a primary architect of XRP Ledger , Schwartz has overseen fundamental innovations in payment networks and blockchain-based financial infrastructure and became Ripple CTO in 2018. HOT Stories How Low Will Bitcoin Price Drop in 2025? Crypto Market Prediction: Can Ethereum Surge Toward $3,500 as Momentum Rebuilds? XRP's Bullish Reversal Targets $2, Dogecoin (DOGE) Eyes Fresh Upside Push Early Uber Investor Urges Tether to Sell Its Bitcoin Holdings Morning Crypto Report: XRP Unlocks Apple and Google Pay in 40 Countries, Shiba Inu (SHIB) Aims at 32% Upside, Bitcoin Options Spike to $13.1 Billion In late September, Schwartz revealed that the time had come for him to step back from his day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO at the end of this year, and as CTO Emeritus, he would still be in and out of the Ripple office. Advertisement In Schwartz's seven year journey as being the Ripple CTO, he reveals an aspect of his job not mostly aware to the public. Being CTO pretty wild? In a tweet, Schwartz wrote: "Being a CTO is pretty wild because half the time I look like this and half the time I look like my pinned tweet." Being a CTO is pretty wild because half the time I look like this and half the time I look like my pinned tweet. pic.twitter.com/R1y9baKcAk — David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) November 29, 2025 Schwartz accompanied the tweet with an image of himself being dressed in a suit, this is compared to a casual look in his pinned tweet. The statement is obviously a playful one, and suggests a two-sided approach to his role as Ripple CTO : a casual and an official one. The tweet caught the attention of the XRP community, with an X user speculating that there might be a deeper message to the Ripple CTO's tweet. Schwartz waved aside this speculation, saying he was just being himself and nothing more. While Schwartz indicated he would be stepping away from his day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO by the end of the year, he said he will not be going away from the XRP community. As his last task at Ripple, Schwartz joined Ripple's Board of Directors to continue supporting the company’s mission and long-term vision. He also joined Evernorth as a strategic advisor. #Ripple News #XRP #XRPL