David Schwartz, the former Chief Technology Officer of Ripple, disclosed a substantial reduction in his XRP holdings. At one point, Schwartz owned approximately 26 million XRP, but over time, this has dwindled to around 3 million XRP.
XRP Holdings Experience Steep Decline
This shift represents a decrease of roughly 23 million XRP, translating to a decline of over 88% from its peak. While the exact dates of these transactions and the total proceeds have not been specified, the reduction marks a significant reshaping of Schwartz’s crypto portfolio.
David Schwartz revealed he once held nearly 26 million XRP, which has now been reduced to about 3 million XRP.
In addition to XRP, Schwartz has diminished his holdings in Bitcoin and Ethereum significantly. According to his statement, his Bitcoin allocation has dropped from around 1,500 BTC to just 1 BTC, while his Ethereum assets have reduced from approximately 40,000 ETH to 6 ETH.
Sales Strategy and Tax Liabilities
Previously, Schwartz had justified his sales strategy as a cautious, low-risk approach. In July, he shared that he and his spouse had decided to sell a segment of their crypto assets each time new historic highs were reached. In his latest remarks, Schwartz emphasized that he operated under a pre-established written plan drafted with his attorney at least 30 days before any XRP sale.
Schwartz admitted to selling about 2.5 million XRP in 2025, indicating the sales comprised primarily tokens acquired between 2020 and 2023. As a result of these transactions, he paid approximately $1.7 million in capital gains taxes.
Schwartz noted that he has not purchased XRP in a long while and executed his sales decisions under a pre-arranged plan.
Ripple Shares and Community Reaction
Despite selling a large portion of his XRP, Schwartz still holds a significant amount of Ripple shares, which he acknowledges presents more financial risk than he is comfortable with. Ripple remains central to the XRP ecosystem, and its equity shares stand apart from direct crypto market assets.
The revelations come amid rising dissatisfaction within the XRP community regarding the token’s price performance. At the beginning of the month, an XRP investor questioned whether Schwartz’s actions might be affecting the token’s listless trajectory. Schwartz, however, argued that his individual transactions likely have a minimal impact on price movements.
