XRP investors have a new reason to worry: Ripple’s David Schwartz sells 23 million XRP tokens, cuts holdings by 88% — Why he exited as XRP price struggles near $1

XRP news: Ripple’s former chief technology officer David Schwartz has revealed that he sold about 23 million XRP over the years, reducing his holdings from a peak of 26 million tokens to around 3 million. The disclosure comes as XRP faces fresh selling pressure.

The token was trading at $1.056, down 17% in a week and about 71% below its July 2025 record of $3.65. But Schwartz says his sales followed a long-standing rule to sell whenever XRP reached a new all-time high, rather than a decision to exit during the latest price decline.

Why did Ripple’s David Schwartz sell 88% of his XRP holdings?

Schwartz, one of the original designers of the XRP Ledger and now Ripple’s chief technology officer emeritus, shared the details on X, where he posts under the name JoelKatz.


“It’s not a secret,” he wrote, responding to questions about his cryptocurrency holdings. He said his XRP position had once reached about 26 million tokens but had fallen to roughly 3 million.

That means he has sold around 23 million XRP, or nearly 88% of his peak holdings. At a price of $1.056, his remaining 3 million tokens would be worth approximately $3.17 million.

Schwartz also disclosed that he had reduced his Bitcoin and Ethereum holdings over the years. His Bitcoin position fell from about 1,500 BTC to just one BTC. His Ethereum holdings dropped from roughly 40,000 ETH to six.

Based on the Bitcoin price of approximately $73,800, the 1,499 BTC he sold would be worth around $110.6 million today. These figures show how much of his earlier cryptocurrency exposure he has given up.

XRP selling: Schwartz says he followed an all-time high rule

Schwartz has previously explained why he kept selling his cryptocurrency. In a July post, he said he had agreed with his wife to sell whenever an asset reached a new all-time high.

He also admitted that he disliked taking risks. On Monday, November 9, he added that he had sold nearly all the digital assets he had ever held and had not bought XRP in a long time.

The timing of those sales remains unknown. Schwartz has not disclosed the dates, quantities sold in individual transactions or prices at which he sold his XRP.

His comments therefore do not establish that he sold a large amount during the latest market decline. His explanation points to sales spread over several years.

He also said he continues to hold a considerable amount of Ripple stock. He described that investment as carrying more risk than he would like.

Since its January 2018 peak, XRP has recorded a new all-time closing high on only two days. Both came in July 2025. Under Schwartz’s stated strategy, opportunities to sell at a record price have been limited.

XRP price prediction: Can the token hold above $1?

XRP’s recent price movement presents a separate concern for investors. The token was trading at $1.056 on Binance, down about 2.8% over 24 hours. It fell to $1.0311 on Tuesday following the US inflation report, marking its lowest level since August 19.

The daily chart also shows XRP trading below its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages. These indicators give greater weight to recent prices and are commonly used to track market trends. XRP’s 50-day EMA stands at $1.284, while its 200-day EMA is at $1.347.

The immediate resistance level is $1.089, followed by $1.130. A move above $1.130 could bring the 50-day EMA near $1.284 into focus.

On the downside, $1.031 is the first important support level. If XRP closes below it, the next levels to watch are $1.009 and $0.986. The latter marks the August 14 low and the last time XRP traded below $1.

A daily close above $1.130 would strengthen the case for a recovery. A move between $1.031 and $1.130 could indicate that the token is trying to establish a price base. A close below $1.031 would increase the risk of another decline.

Schwartz’s disclosure is significant because he helped design the XRP Ledger and remains closely associated with Ripple. However, the reduction in his holdings does not, by itself, signal that he expects XRP to fall further.

He has described a strategy based on selling at new price records and reducing exposure to risk. He has also not provided transaction dates that would connect his sales to the current downturn.