Veteran Ripple developer regrets selling XRP

David Schwartz, Ripple Labs CTO Emeritus and one of the founding architects of XRP Ledger, has one regret: selling XRP.

It was on Jan. 29, 2026, that a crypto user asked him if he regretted selling XRP at $0.10 and Ethereum (ETH) at $1.

Schwartz responded around six months later and said,

“Obviously, I wish I hadn’t done those things. But I agreed with my wife to sell at every new ATH and I really, really hate risk. I wish I was more comfortable with risk, but I’m just not that person.”

The veteran Ripple developer said he hates risks and kept selling his crypto holdings every time their value hit new all-time highs (ATHs), owing to an agreement with his wife.

Schwartz added that although he wished he were more willing to take on risks, he is risk-averse.

Trending on TheStreet Roundtable:

XRP fails to recover after multiple ATHs in previous years

XRP is the sixth-largest cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of $71.16 billion.

The cryptocurrency has been reaching new ATHs every few years. It hit $3.40 in January 2018 during the crypto peak before it retreated to previous lows. While the 2021 peak wasn’t as bullish as 2018, XRP again hit $1.84 in April 2021.

XRP hit its ATH of $3.65 on July 17, 2025, when its regulatory status in the United States got nearly settled.

But the crypto flash crash on Oct. 10 a few months later has led to a price decline from which the cryptocurrency is yet to recover.

Over the last 24 hours, XRP’s value has grown 3.7% and was trading at $1.14.

Related: Google searches for XRP sink amid 60% price crash in a year

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jul 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.