$XRP Valuations and Legacy Holdings: Schwartz's Early Stake Revealed

Ripple's CTO Emeritus David Schwartz revealed that he accumulated a significant amount of Ripple stock in the company's early days. In an X conversation, Schwartz shared his financial investments during Ripple's formative years. He mentioned that he initially held around 26 million $XRP but now has approximately 2 million.

Schwartz's comment sparked a question about whether he had received a substantial retirement package after stepping down as CTO in late 2025. However, he clarified that his wording 'I accumulated a lot' implies a significant amount of Ripple stock was acquired during the early days.

Ripple has seen its valuation grow significantly in recent years, with a strategic investment last November raising $500 million and valuing the company at $40 billion. The company's prime-brokerage arm has also raised $275 million through private placement bonds, which will mature in 2031.