Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer has stepped down after 13 years with the company, and XRP’s price is having trouble finding clear direction in the wake of this news. David Schwartz, who goes by “JoelKatz” in the crypto world, announced on September 30 that he’s leaving his CTO position at the end of this year. The interesting part is that Schwartz will actually be joining Ripple’s board of directors. So, it’s not like he’s disappearing completely. Right now, traders and analysts are trying to figure out what this means for the token moving forward.
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Ripple’s CTO Resignation Update Sparks Price Struggle and Prediction Talks
Ripple’s CTO Resigns: Details
The news about the fact that Ripple’s CTO resigns caught quite a few people off guard. Schwartz has been there since the very beginning—he’s the one who designed the XRP Ledger architecture. So when someone with that kind of history announces they’re stepping back, it gets attention. He mentioned wanting to spend more time with his family. He also said he’s been looking into other ways XRP could be used beyond what Ripple is currently focused on.
At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $2.85 to $2.86 on major exchanges like CoinGecko and Binance. The token holds the fourth spot among cryptocurrencies by market cap, but it’s been pretty much stuck since the announcement dropped. The 24-hour numbers show a decline of about 1.5%. This isn’t exactly dramatic considering you’re losing a CTO who’s been instrumental from day one.
Schwartz stated:
“I have total confidence in the next generation of leaders and builders.”
Ripple CTO XRP Update: CEO Response & Market Reaction
Brad Garlinghouse, who serves as Ripple’s CEO, responded to the announcement with what seemed like genuine warmth along with some humor. He acknowledged Schwartz’s work on both Ripple and the XRP Ledger over the years.
Garlinghouse said:
“A true OG in crypto with the conviction and vision to see what others couldn’t – you are a legend.”
He also added:
“Wait… does this mean you’re my boss now!?!”
What Happens Next for XRP
Market reaction has been quite subdued up till now. The price of XRP is fairly stable, and it may indicate that investors believe that Ripple has a strong succession strategy, or they might be more worried about what is happening in the market with all cryptocurrencies at the moment. The absence of a large price movement is actually noteworthy in the light of the fact that Schwartz has been assumed to be the developer of the XRP Ledger system, which was intended to resolve the inefficiencies in the traditional financial system and solve the issue of scalability.
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The nearest thing that is being keenly monitored currently is how the actual vision of Ripple technically will proceed with Schwartz as a board member instead of a practical CTO. He will still have a voice and the power but the technical day-to-day leadership will be transferred to other people. Whether this new structure will continue this momentum that the XRP Ledger has established or whether any discernible change in direction will be observed will be made known only in the coming months.
Garlinghouse and Schwartz have experienced much of Ripple together. This includes that marathon regulatory battle over the status of XRP that was resolved earlier in 2025 and which could be encouraging investors not to fear this transformation.