Former Ripple CTO Had 26M XRP Stash, Says Co-Founder Sold BTC, Not XRP

David Schwartz, formerly Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer and widely known online as JoelKatz, disclosed this week that he once held 26 million XRP, a sum worth roughly $36.6M at current market prices. XRP was trading near $1.40 at the time of writing, up approximately +0.4% over the prior 24 hours, with technicals on shorter timeframes sending mixed signals.

Responding to a question on X about the scale of his personal XRP position, Schwartz offered an unexpected benchmark. “My idea of not a lot is still more than a million,” he wrote. “I once had 26 million XRP.”

The comment arrived in the context of a broader conversation about risk tolerance among Ripple’s founding figures. Schwartz also touched on co-founder Arthur Britto, saying his vague recollection from years ago was that Britto had been selling Bitcoin to cover living expenses while retaining most or all of his XRP. “I vaguely remember him saying that he’s been selling Bitcoin to cover expenses and hadn’t sold any, or very little, XRP,” Schwartz wrote.

Ripple’s leadership and acquisition posture have drawn sustained attention throughout 2025 as the company expands its footprint. The disclosure lands against a backdrop of fragmented but watchful momentum in the XRP market, and the broader question of what insider behavior at founding-era holdings actually signals about long-term conviction.

(SOURCE: TradingView)

Can XRP Price Reclaim $1.50 This Week After Insider Holdings Disclosure?

XRP’s price action has been choppy. The token was benchmarked near $1.40 in recent sessions, with a 24-hour range of $1.39–$1.42, representing a roughly +3% upside from current levels. Support appears to be consolidating around the $1.38 floor, while resistance clusters near $1.43–$1.45.

Technical signals are not uniform. The Fear & Greed Index has finally exited fear territory and is now at neutral, hitting 50/100 for the first time in 2026.

Three scenarios appear plausible in the near term. The bull case sees XRP clear $1.45 on volume, with a path toward the $1.55 weekly target if institutional interest materializes around the Ripple regulatory narrative. The base case holds XRP in the $1.35–$1.44 band through the week, with consolidation preceding any catalyst-driven breakout.

The bear case, worth monitoring given recent volume patterns, involves a slip below $1.38 support, which could open a retest of lower levels flagged by some models near $1.30. Position sizing around that floor seems like the operative question for active traders right now.

DISCOVER: Best crypto to buy right now – CoinSpeaker’s updated guide

LiquidChain Targets Early-Mover Upside as Ripple Consolidates at Key Support

XRP’s consolidation near support reflects a pattern familiar to longer-cycle holders: assets with strong fundamentals and insider conviction often compress before moving. But at a $1.40 price point and with a market capitalization already in the tens of billions, the asymmetry that early XRP holders captured is structurally different from what new entrants face today. Supply dynamics continue to evolve, but the easy multiples belong to a different era.

That structural gap is precisely where early-stage infrastructure plays attract attention. LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is a Layer 3 infrastructure project positioning itself as a cross-chain liquidity layer, fusing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana liquidity into a single execution environment.

The stated architecture lets developers deploy once and access all three ecosystems, addressing a persistent friction point in multi-chain development. The presale is currently priced at $0.01456, with over $718,000 raised to date. Key features include a Unified Liquidity Layer, Single-Step Execution, and Verifiable Settlement.

Visit the LiquidChain Presale Website Here.

EXPLORE: Best Ethereum wallets for 2026 – CoinSpeaker’s updated guide

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.