'2 Million Now': Ripple CTO Emeritus Reveals Where His XRP Holdings Stand

Ripple CTO emeritus David Schwartz disclosed where his $XRP holdings currently stand in response to an X user's question. The X user had asked Schwartz whether he had sold all of his $XRP and told him to "be honest."

Schwartz revealed that his $XRP holdings have dropped significantly from their peak, saying he now holds about 2 million $XRP.

The Ripple CTO emeritus previously claimed that he owned roughly 26 million $XRP at his peak holdings. Now, Schwartz reveals his $XRP holdings have fallen significantly, about 92%, from this high to about 2 million $XRP. "I think I'm down from about 26 million at my peak to about 2 million now," Schwartz stated.

I think I'm down from about 26 million at my peak to about 2 million now.

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) August 17, 2026

Given his wording, particularly the phrase "I think," the figures might be taken as his approximate estimate rather than a precise disclosure of his current $XRP balance.

Schwartz's response, however, suggests that he has not sold or otherwise dumped all of his $XRP, despite the X user's question implying otherwise. He did not, however, disclose a breakdown of how his $XRP holdings declined, as it is possible that not all of them were outright market sells. Other reasons for the decline could be transfers, gifts, spending, or other transactions.

40,000 $ETH sale in spotlight

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has often recounted his well-known sale of 40,000 $ETH, a decision that he regretted.

Schwartz bought 40,000 $ETH tokens at $0.311 and then sold them for $42,000, earning a return of 321%. Shortly after, the Ethereum price went parabolic. Schwartz had used the proceeds of his sale to acquire a set of solar panels, which he installed in his Oakland, California home, which he no longer owns, making it a painful decision.

Schwartz admits that he regrets selling some of his early cryptocurrency holdings, including $XRP at $0.10 and Ethereum at around $1. He says his decision was driven mainly by his aversion to risk, adding that he wished he hadn't done so.