A major development has caught the XRP community’s attention. Former Ripple CTO David Schwartz has revealed that he reduced his XRP holdings from approximately 26 million tokens to just 3 million — a cut of nearly 88.5%.
But there is more to the story. Schwartz also disclosed that his Bitcoin holdings fell from around 1,500 BTC to just 1 BTC, while his Ethereum position dropped from 40,000 ETH to only 6 ETH.
📉 Why Did He Sell?
Schwartz explained that his decisions were driven by personal risk tolerance rather than a prediction that the market would fall. He said the sales followed written plans established well in advance.
He also revealed that he still holds a significant amount of Ripple stock, meaning he continues to have exposure to the company.
📊 XRP Market Under Pressure
As of November 11, $XRP was trading near $1.05, with the token facing notable selling pressure:
Down approximately 17.8% over the past week.
Down around 23% year-to-date.
Market capitalization experienced a sharp decline during the recent sell-off.
XRP ETFs recorded about $18.04 million in week-to-date outflows.
However, XRP's decline had already started before Schwartz publicly disclosed his reduced holdings. Therefore, it would be premature to attribute the market drop directly to his sales.
🐋 Whales Are Moving in the Opposite Direction
Interestingly, on-chain analyst Ali Martinez reported that large XRP holders accumulated approximately 65.32 million XRP over four days, bringing their reported holdings to around 4 billion tokens.
This creates an interesting contrast: while Schwartz has reduced his exposure, some large holders appear to be accumulating.
At the same time, futures open interest and leverage have weakened, while spot-market outflows suggest that traders remain cautious.
🔍 What Could Happen Next?
The market now faces an important question: Is XRP experiencing a temporary correction, or could selling pressure continue?
Schwartz's decision is worth noting, but it should not automatically be treated as a bearish signal. His personal risk tolerance and investment strategy may be very different from those of other investors.
My Take: Watch spot flows, whale activity, ETF movements, and important price levels rather than relying on one individual's portfolio decisions.
⚠️ Risk Reminder: Crypto markets are highly volatile. Whale accumulation does not guarantee a price recovery, and ETF outflows do not guarantee further declines. Always conduct your own research and manage risk carefully.