Ripple CTO David “JoelKatz” Schwartz steps down after 13 years, transitioning to CTO Emeritus to pursue personal XRPL projects.
Co-creator of XRP Ledger, Schwartz drove ISO 20022 compliance and FedNow integrations, shaping its $30T settlement potential.
Brad Garlinghouse and team honor Schwartz’s legacy as Ripple gains momentum with BlackRock and VanEck tokenized funds.
In a bittersweet milestone for the crypto world, Ripple CTO David “JoelKatz” Schwartz announced his departure from day-to-day duties after over 13 years, marking the end of an era for the XRP Ledger’s architect. In a heartfelt X post at 01:32 AM today, Schwartz reflected on a journey from consulting for the NSA to coding Bitcoin’s early stages, then joining Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen to birth the XRP Ledger. “I can’t begin to explain the depth of my gratitude to this company, the people who work here, and the community that surrounds XRPL,” he wrote, stepping back by year-end to pursue personal projects.
Schwartz’s exit isn’t a fade into obscurity—he’s shifting to CTO Emeritus, vowing to support Ripple’s mission and long-term vision. His legacy is undeniable: from co-creating XRP’s ISO 20022-compliant ledger to driving FedNow integrations, he’s laid the groundwork for trillions in potential settlement flows. His side tinkering—spinning up XRPL node tools and publishing data—hints at a passion project, possibly exploring new use cases like RWA tokenization. “I’m really excited to get back to that,” he teased, promising more soon.
The ripple effect is profound. CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Monica, Ripple’s soul, praised Schwartz’s leap of faith alongside Larsen, who took a huge bet on the vision. The XRP community, from developers to builders like Dennis Jarosc (Ripple’s SVP of Engineering), now carries the torch. Schwartz’s departure comes as Ripple gains traction—BlackRock’s $2B BUIDL fund and VanEck’s VBILL tokenize via RLUSD, with XRP Ledger support looming. Yet, his shoes are big; his technical genius shaped XRP’s edge over Bitcoin in cross-border efficiency.
Fans speculate on his next move—some eye a decentralized venture, others a deeper dive into XRPL’s open-source roots. For now, he’ll linger at community events, a nod to the “honor” of being in the trenches. As one X user posted, “JoelKatz isn’t gone; he’s evolving.” With Ripple’s $30T forecast in play, his impact endures—proof that visionaries don’t retire, they redirect.
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Nikolai Carter
