David Schwartz, the original architect of the XRP Ledger and currently serving as Ripple’s chief technology officer emeritus, has addressed critics who blame him for the ongoing decline in XRP’s value. He acknowledged that he might share some responsibility but emphasized that his impact is minimal.
This exchange took place on X, where a user challenged Schwartz on whether he could genuinely claim to have no influence over XRP’s price fluctuations. Schwartz responded thoughtfully, noting that while it would be difficult to assert total detachment from the price changes, the extent of his influence is quite limited.
His comments come amid growing dissatisfaction among XRP holders. Market data from CoinMarketCap reveals that the token has lost nearly 50% of its value in the past year. Although there have been occasional price increases, the overall trend has been downward. This pattern isn’t exclusive to XRP; Stellar (XLM), a similar payments-focused cryptocurrency, has experienced a comparable decline in this timeframe.
Schwartz has voiced concerns about the nature of discussions related to him. He mentioned that many accounts are now following him into unrelated threads to label him a fraud or express grievances regarding his work with XRP. In response, he has started blocking users who engage in such behavior, clarifying that this policy also applies to supporters who post promotional content in off-topic discussions.
Reasonable critique is welcome, Schwartz stated, as long as it is constructive and relevant, devoid of personal attacks. He offered to unblock individuals who agree to cease disruptive behaviors, highlighting that he bears no ill feelings towards anyone. Community suggestions, such as establishing a weekly thread for newcomers to the XRP community, have his support as they provide a more constructive space for dialogue.
His statements follow criticism directed at both him and Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse, coinciding with another decline in XRP’s price.
Currently, XRP is trading around $1.17, down approximately 2.4% in the last 24 hours and roughly 24.5% lower than its October peak of $1.55, according to CoinGlass. The data service noted about $10.7 million in XRP futures liquidations over the past day, with open interest at nearly $2.76 billion. Open interest dropped by 12.36% as the price fell through the $1.21 support level, indicating traders are reducing leveraged positions, although this metric does not clarify between long and short trades. Additionally, social sentiment for XRP has waned to its lowest point since July.
Despite falling spot prices, ETFs linked to XRP have continued to attract investments. These funds recorded net inflows on six separate trading days over the last month, totaling $1.81 billion in cumulative inflows.
Technical analysts are examining critical price levels. Analyst ChartNerd identified significant buying interest between $1.04 and $1.16 after breaking below weekly support, stating that reclaiming $1.34 would improve the technical outlook. Currently, the token is trading below its 20-week and 50-week moving averages, which have transitioned into resistance levels following the loss of 10-week support. Ali Martinez suggested that $0.99 may serve as a potential bottom, citing thin trading volume and a declining market share as challenges to a sustainable recovery, while Bitcoin’s dominance continues to press down on alternative coins. Conversely, Dark Defender believes XRP’s long-term structure remains solid, with $1.12—previously a resistance level in July and August—now serving as the support that must hold for a potential rebound.
Schwartz’s position within Ripple has been a topic of ongoing speculation. Although he stepped back from daily operations at the end of 2025, he remains on the company’s board with the emeritus CTO title. He mentioned that he meets with his former team bi-monthly to offer strategic insights without direct operational oversight, maintaining his formal link to the firm that he helped establish.
For investors, this internal dispute signifies less about individual executives and more about the prevailing sentiment in a community that has endured a year of price declines. Derivative positioning indicates a trend toward deleveraging rather than capitulation, and ETF inflow data suggests that institutional investors perceive current weakness as an opportunity. The key short-term question is whether the price will hold in the $1.12 to $1.16 range; breaking below this could lead to a drop toward the identified $0.99 level, while recovering above $1.34 would alleviate some chart pressure.