joelkatz

The XRP Ledger Foundation announced Monday that David Schwartz, one of the original architects of the XRPL, has joined as an Honorary Board Member — a historic appointment that formally connects the protocol's founding engineering talent to its independent governing body.
The Foundation stated that Schwartz brings technical depth and a long-term perspective that will help strengthen its stewardship of the XRPL ecosystem. His appointment is widely seen as a signal of continuity and institutional credibility for the open-source ledger that underpins the $XRP digital asset.
Schwartz, widely known across the crypto community by his online handle JoelKatz, transitioned from Ripple's Chief Technology Officer to CTO Emeritus at the close of 2025 — after an extraordinary 13-year tenure in the role. During that time, he worked alongside Ripple co-founders Arthur Britto, Jed McCaleb, and Chris Larsen on the original ripple:native Ledger architecture, laying the cryptographic and consensus foundations still in use today.
He already holds a seat on Ripple's Board of Directors. His new role at the XRPLF now formally bridges two distinct pillars of the ecosystem: Ripple, the private company, and the Foundation, the independent nonprofit responsible for XRPL protocol stewardship.
The XRPL Foundation, established as an independent body separate from Ripple Inc., has long served as the neutral steward of the open-source ledger. Schwartz's appointment as an Honorary Board Member formally acknowledges the unique position he occupies — as both a founding engineer and a continuing voice in the ecosystem's evolution. His honorary role is expected to be advisory in nature, lending technical authority to the Foundation's governance decisions without disrupting the structural independence that underpins its mission.
For the broader $XRP community, the appointment represents an important symbolic and practical alignment: the man who helped build the ledger's original consensus mechanism now officially shapes the strategic direction of the body tasked with its long-term care. #DavidSchwartz #JoelKatz #RİPPLE
XRP Ledger Chronicle

$XRP When a pioneer behind one of the world's most recognized blockchain projects steps away from their daily duties, it inevitably stirs emotions 🥺. A notable example occurred this week when David Schwartz, the Chief Technology Officer of Ripple with a long history, stepped down from his active position.
The news sparked a wave of appreciation from the XRP community, which rushed to highlight its invaluable role in the formation of both Ripple and the XRP Ledger 🌐. But what followed returned the focus to Schwartz in a way that only he could handle.