Key Takeaways
- David Schwartz says his XRP holdings fell from approximately 26 million to 3 million, a reduction of about 88%.
- Ripple’s CTO emeritus attributes his decision to sell to low risk tolerance.
- Separately, analyst Einstein has outlined a conditional $6–$10 XRP forecast, with no firm deadline.
XRP Ledger co-creator David Schwartz has disclosed that he reduced his XRP holdings by 88% over time, drawing fresh criticism from supporters as he defended his preference for limiting financial risk.
In a Nov. 10 post, Ripple’s ex-chief technology officer said his balance had fallen from a peak of about 26 million XRP to roughly 3 million, alongside disclosing steep reductions in Bitcoin and Ethereum holdings.
The comments further highlight the frustration with the expectation of massive returns from some XRP supporters — especially as pseudonymous analyst Einstein outlines long-term XRP targets of $6 and $10.
Schwartz Discloses Smaller XRP, Bitcoin and Ethereum Positions
Schwartz addressed his holdings on an exchange on X, writing:
“I think I’m down from a high of around 26 million XRP to around 3 million XRP.”
The difference amounts to 23 million XRP, around 88.5% of his reported peak balance.
Meanwhile, his Bitcoin position has fallen from around 1,500 BTC to 1 BTC, while his Ethereum holdings declined from 40,000 ETH to 6 ETH.
In an earlier exchange on Nov. 9, Schwartz said he sold around 2.5 million XRP during 2025.
Most of those tokens had been received in 2020 and 2023, he said, and the sales resulted in approximately $1.7 million in capital gains tax.
Holders Challenge the Selling as Schwartz Explains His Risk Aversion
The disclosures prompted criticism from XRP supporters who questioned his decision to reduce his exposure while remaining closely associated with Ripple and the ledger.
One disgruntled X user responded: “You really posted this stating that you paid 1.7 million in capital gains tax because you thought it would soften the fact that you got incredibly wealthy on the backs of retail sales.”
Another accused Schwartz of “bragging about selling XRP and paying capital gains tax” while holders remains frustrated at the price.
Schwartz said he had sold nearly all the digital assets he had held, while retaining a considerable amount of Ripple stock.
Even that equity exposure represented more risk than he would ideally choose, he said.
“I haven’t bought XRP in a long time,” he wrote in a separate exchange, adding he was very “uncomfortable with risk.”
Schwartz also acknowledged that his caution had limited his potential wealth.
“I’m almost exactly as successful as I was trying to be,” he wrote in another reply.
Schwartz added that his XRP sales follow written plans locked in with an attorney at least 30 days before execution.
He explained that the process is intended to avoid situations in which someone could credibly argue he traded on information such as reports of vulnerabilities affecting the XRP Ledger.
Analyst Maps a Separate XRP Route Toward $10
While Schwartz described reducing risk, market commentator Einstein outlined a bullish long-term scenario in a Nov. 9 post.
The analyst identified a potential entry zone between $0.70 and $1, arguing that XRP remained within a multi-year ascending channel.
He claimed his longer-term targets were $6 and $10.
However, the projection depended on support holding:
“XRP bulls MUST defend this long term support to keep the bullish structure alive.”
$10 XRP Would Put Its Value Above Mastercard
At an unchanged circulating supply of 63.52 billion XRP, prices of $6 and $10 would imply market capitalizations of approximately $381 billion and $635 billion, respectively.
The lower target would put XRP above Netflix’s roughly $260 billion valuation.
At $10, XRP would surpass both Coca-Cola, valued at around $412 billion, and Mastercard at around $569 billion, using market figures available on Nov. 11.
These comparisons illustrate the massive scale of the forecasts and how much XRP itself would have to grow.
Schwartz Has Previously Challenged Much Bigger Forecasts
Einstein’s targets remain modest beside some predictions previously covered by CCN, including:
- Standard Chartered’s $28 outlook for 2030
- Egrag Crypto’s $50 scenario
- Jake Claver’s $10,000 projection for late 2026 or early 2027.
However, Schwartz has previously declined to outright endorse expectations that XRP could reach $50–$100 within a few years.
As CCN reported in January, he wrote:
“I don’t fell comfortable saying something like that.
“While I don’t think it’s likely, I didn’t think it was likely that XRP would ever hit $0.25.”
His argument also questioned how strongly investors believed the targets they promoted.
Schwartz reasoned that people assigning a meaningful probability to $100 XRP would have an incentive to accumulate the token at substantially lower prices.
“That the current trading price is well below $10 shows that there aren’t very many people who really think it has a 10% chance of hitting $100 within a few years with enough confidence to put their money where their mouth is,” he said.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
