David Schwartz Clarifies He Wasn't Ripple Founder, Got XRP Later
In brief
- David Schwartz co-developed the XRP Ledger in 2011 with Jed McCaleb and Arthur Britto
- He joined Ripple as Chief Cryptographer, not as a founder
- Schwartz stepped down from CTO role in late 2025 to become CTO emeritus
The XRP Ledger Origins
In 2011, three engineers—David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto—began developing the XRP Ledger. The project progressed quickly. The XRP Ledger first launched in June 2012.
Schwartz is acknowledged as one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger. That distinction matters. It does not, however, extend to Ripple itself.
From Cryptographer to CTO
Shortly after the XRP Ledger launch, Chris Larsen joined the group, and they started the Company NewCoin in September 2012, which was quickly renamed OpenCoin and later became Ripple. Schwartz originally joined Ripple (then known as OpenCoin) as its Chief Cryptographer before becoming Chief Technology Officer in 2018.
The timeline reveals the distinction Schwartz wanted to clarify. He built the ledger. He joined the company later, in a technical capacity. In late 2025, Schwartz stepped down from the CTO role and transitioned to becoming CTO emeritus.
Why This Matters
Founder status carries weight in crypto narratives. It shapes how the market perceives early commitment and skin in the game. Schwartz's post reacted to a screenshot describing various Ripple participants and their XRP gifts at inception. He noted the humor in the framing, observing that he was wearing a "cryptographer-1" shirt at the time—a nod to his actual role. The clarification cuts through years of potential misunderstanding about who built what, and when each person joined the effort.
