Some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. ICOBench may receive advertising commissions when users visit recommended platforms via our affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are based on a comprehensive review process. 
Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, has announced that he will step down from his daily role at the end of this year after more than 13 years with the company.
As happens in one’s life, I’ve been taking stock of my last 40 years. It’s been a wild ride. I’ve gone from consulting for the NSA to watching the early stages of Bitcoin. Then, I met Arthur, Jed, and Chris and worked on coding the XRP Ledger. Now, I’ve spent more than 13 years…
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) September 30, 2025
In a post on X, Schwartz said:
“It’s time to step back from my day-to-day responsibilities as Ripple CTO. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my children and grandchildren, and returning to hobbies I’ve put aside.”
Schwartz became CTO in July 2018, following Stephan Thomas (Coil’s former CEO) and Ripple co-founder Jed McCaleb. Known widely in the crypto space as “JoelKatz”, Schwartz is one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and a highly respected figure in blockchain innovation.
Reflecting on his career, he wrote:
“From my work as an NSA consultant, to covering Bitcoin in its earliest days, to meeting Arthur, Jed, and Chris and coding the XRP Ledger, these 40 years have been an incredible journey. My 13 years at Ripple have been among the greatest honors of my life.”
Staying Connected with Ripple and XRPL
Although stepping down, Schwartz will join Ripple’s board of directors and receive the honorary title of Chief Technology Officer Emeritus, ensuring continuity during Ripple’s ongoing battles with global regulatory environments.
He emphasized that he won’t be leaving the XRPL community, revealing that he has been working on his own XRPL node and exploring non-Ripple-focused XRP use cases.
“Writing code and engaging with developers has always been thrilling. There’s still so much to do in this space,” he added.
Ripple Leaders Praise Schwartz’s Legacy
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse called Schwartz “one of the smartest—and perhaps funniest—people I’ve ever known,” describing him as a “true OG of crypto” with unmatched vision. President Monica Long also praised him, saying Ripple’s strong community “would not exist without David’s creativity, integrity, humor, and humility.”
Before Ripple, Schwartz’s career included consulting for the NSA, contributing to early Bitcoin development, and co-founding the XRPL alongside Arthur Britto and Chris Larsen.
His departure marks the end of an era for Ripple, but his continued involvement as a board member and active XRPL contributor ensures his influence on the crypto industry will remain strong.
