A major XRP story is getting attention after David Schwartz, Ripple’s CTO Emeritus and a key figure behind the XRP Ledger, revealed just how much his personal XRP position has changed.
His XRP position reportedly fell from a peak of around 26 million XRP to approximately 3 million XRP — a reduction of roughly 23 million XRP, or more than 88%.
But there’s an important detail: Schwartz says this was not a sudden dump.
He has explained that he has been selling gradually according to a personal risk-management strategy. He previously said he and his wife agreed that he would sell whenever an asset reached a new all-time high because he is highly uncomfortable with financial risk.
HIS CRYPTO HOLDINGS HAVE SHRUNK ACROSS THE BOARD,
• XRP: ~26M → ~3M
• Bitcoin: ~1,500 BTC → 1 BTC
• Ethereum: ~40,000 ETH → 6 ETH
So this isn't simply an XRP-specific decision.
Schwartz has said he has sold nearly all of the digital assets he has ever held and hasn't bought XRP in a long time. He also continues to hold a substantial amount of Ripple stock, despite saying that even this exposure represents more risk than he would personally prefer.
THE 2025 XRP SALES
Schwartz also disclosed that he sold around 2.5 million XRP during 2025, most of which he had received in 2020 and 2023.
Those sales reportedly generated approximately $1.7 million in capital-gains taxes.
He has also described a formal process for his XRP sales: he arranges written plans with an attorney at least 30 days before execution. According to Schwartz, the procedure is designed to reduce concerns about trading on non-public information, including potential knowledge of XRP Ledger issues.
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The timing is certainly uncomfortable for XRP holders.
XRP is trading around $1.06, down sharply from its 2025 record near $3.65. The token has also been trading below its major daily moving averages.
According to the TradingView analysis, key levels are:
🔴 Resistance: $1.089 → $1.130 → $1.284
🟢 Support: $1.031 → $1.009 → $0.986
A daily close above $1.13 could improve the short-term structure, while losing $1.031 could expose XRP to further downside toward $1.009 and potentially $0.986.
There is also broader selling pressure in the market. U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded roughly $10.42 million in net outflows on November 9, adding another layer of pressure around the token.
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BUT HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART
Schwartz's selling does not necessarily mean he has lost confidence in XRP.
His own explanation points toward personal risk management rather than a fundamental rejection of XRP.
In fact, he still owns approximately 3 million XRP, worth roughly $3.2 million at the price cited in the TradingView report.
His sales also happened over an extended period rather than representing one massive market dump.
For investors, the bigger question is therefore not simply:
“Why did Schwartz sell?”
It is:
“Does his personal risk tolerance tell us anything about XRP’s long-term fundamentals?”
Right now, the evidence does not prove that his sales represent a bearish signal for XRP.
The market still needs to determine whether XRP can reclaim key resistance levels or whether the current selling pressure pushes it below the $1 psychological zone.
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David Schwartz has dramatically reduced his crypto exposure — including an 88%+ reduction in XRP.
That is definitely worth watching.
But considering that he also reduced Bitcoin from ~1,500 to 1 BTC and Ethereum from ~40,000 to 6 ETH, the move appears much more consistent with his long-standing strategy of reducing financial risk than a specific bet against XRP.
For XRP traders, $1.031 remains an important near-term level to watch, while $1.13 is the first major hurdle bulls need to reclaim.
