In a surprising development for the blockchain payments company Ripple, Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has announced his decision to step down from his role. Schwartz’s Future Plans In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Schwartz shared his intention to transition away from his day-to-day responsibilities at Ripple by the end of the year. Despite stepping back from his executive role, Schwartz made it clear that he intends to remain an active participant in the XRP community. “You haven’t seen the last of me,” he assured his followers, hinting at future projects and endeavors. Over the past few months, he has been exploring new avenues by setting up his own XRP Ledger (XRPL) node, researching alternative use cases for XRP beyond Ripple’s core operations, and engaging directly with the developer community. In his message, Schwartz also took the opportunity to express gratitude to his colleagues, including Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Monica Long, whom he described as the “very soul of Ripple.” Schwartz Set To Join Ripple’s Board Of Directors Garlinghouse responded to Schwartz’s announcement with appreciation, stating, “Thank you David for everything you’ve done for the industry, for Ripple, and for the XRP Ledger. We are all forever grateful… and in awe of your immense impact.” While Schwartz will step down from his daily duties, his journey with the crypto firm is far from over. He will assume the role of CTO Emeritus and has accepted an invitation to join Ripple’s Board of Directors. In this capacity, he will continue to support the company’s long-term vision and mission. “I look forward to seeing the rest of you at XRP community events around the world,” he concluded, signaling his commitment to the ecosystem. Featured image from Forbes, chart from TradingView.com
