David Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer at Ripple and one of the architects behind the XRP Ledger, has revealed that he reduced his personal XRP holdings from approximately 26 million to just 2–3 million tokens. Schwartz stated that he made the decision primarily due to his own risk tolerance, rather than concerns about the fundamentals or future outlook for XRP.
Schwartz trims major crypto positions
Schwartz, who shares insights on social media under the username JoelKatz, disclosed his substantial asset sale in response to questions from the digital asset community. In addition to liquidating XRP, he has significantly reduced his holdings in other major cryptocurrencies. His Bitcoin position shrank from about 1,500 BTC to a single token, and his Ethereum exposure dropped from approximately 40,000 ETH to only six.
Schwartz explained that his motivation to sell was driven by personal discomfort with investment risk. He indicated that he had not bought XRP in recent years, and his remaining exposure via Ripple stock already exceeded his comfort level for risk.
In 2025, Schwartz sold roughly 2.5 million XRP, resulting in a capital gains tax bill of about $1.7 million. Despite selling the bulk of his digital assets, he clarified that he still holds millions of XRP tokens and continues to maintain a position in both the company and its native asset.
Schwartz indicated that the reduction of his digital holdings was not prompted by doubts regarding XRP’s technology or its payment utility, but instead by his own desire to limit financial risk given his ongoing exposure to Ripple.
Mini dictionary: David Schwartz is the Chief Technology Officer at Ripple, a fintech company developing global payment solutions built on blockchain technology. He is recognized as one of the original designers of the XRP Ledger.
Community reacts to the sell-off
The announcement sparked renewed debate among XRP supporters on social media, with some questioning why Schwartz would sell such a large portion of his holding given his prominent role in the asset’s development.
Prominent community member Kevin Myles challenged Schwartz’s risk-averse approach by highlighting XRP’s anticipated use in global settlements and cross-border transactions. Some argued that higher prices may benefit liquidity and reduce transaction costs, supporting XRP’s usefulness for payment providers.
Nevertheless, others acknowledged that holding both Ripple equity and a large XRP position could expose Schwartz to concentrated financial risk within the same ecosystem. By reducing his crypto holdings, Schwartz sought to limit this exposure while remaining closely tied to Ripple’s ongoing business.
While XRP’s growing role in payment infrastructure remains a key discussion point for the community, investors such as Schwartz weigh technology adoption alongside the realities of market volatility, liquidity, and capital allocation.
XRP price under pressure as technical signals weaken
Schwartz’s announcement comes as XRP continues to struggle with selling pressure. On November 12, 2026, XRP traded near $1.05, having fallen approximately 13% to 20% over the previous week and about 23% to 25% over the past month. Compared to a yearly high of roughly $2.39, the token is down more than 55%.
With a current market capitalization around $66 billion to $67 billion and daily trading volumes close to $1.5 billion, XRP remains one of the most actively traded digital assets.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Price (Nov 12, 2026) | $1.05 |
| Monthly Change | -23% to -25% |
| Yearly High | $2.39 |
| Market Cap | $66–67 billion |
| Circulating Supply | ~63.5 billion XRP |
| Trading Volume | ~$1.5 billion |
Technical analysis points to further weakness. The daily simple moving averages (SMAs) remain above XRP’s current price, and aggregate indicators continue to signal a strong downtrend. The 10-day SMA is near $1.15–$1.17, with the 20-day SMA at $1.21–$1.23, and the 50-day around $1.34–$1.35.
Momentum readings show the token as severely oversold. The daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers near 23.4–23.7, while Stochastic %K is at 6–7 and Williams Percent Range approaches -94. The MACD and other indicators also remain negative, highlighting strong bearish momentum. The Average Directional Index (ADX) around 24–25 indicates a moderately established trend favoring the downside.
Support and resistance levels in focus
Traders now watch the $1.03–$1.05 range as important immediate support. A break below this region may lead to a test of the psychological $1.00 mark and potentially intensify losses. Immediate resistance is seen between $1.07 and $1.09, with a more significant reversal requiring recovery above moving averages and sustained buyer interest.
Despite short-term oversold signals, analysts note that a robust trend change will likely require a return of bullish sentiment and broader market support for $XRP.
