Ripple CTO Emeritus Recalls Massive 40,000 ETH Sale
News By Alex Dovbnya Sun, 1/03/2026 - 9:54 Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has recalled that he felt like a genius after selling his massive ETH stash when the altcoin was still in its nascency. Advertisement
In a recent post on the X social media network, Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz recalled that he had felt like an "investment genius" after famously selling a total of 40,000 ETH when the leading cryptocurrency was trading at just $1.05.
AdvertisementSchwarz was personally invited by Ethereum's Buterin to take part in the launch of the red-hot altcoin.
The architect behind XRP Ledger wanted to show some support for the project and handed over a total of 20 BTC. This sum allowed Schwartz to buy the entire stash.
HOT Stories Ripple CEO Urges Banks to Act in Good Faith Crypto Market Review: Bitcoin's $70,000 Guarded Like Treasure, Will Shiba Inu Have Bullish March? Ethereum Breaks Above 100-Day ThresholdSchwartz initially bought the 40,000 ETH tokens at $0.311 and ended up walking away with a rather impressive return of 321%. The sale netted him a total of $42,000. Shortly after this, the price of the token would end up going parabolic.
AdvertisementThe proceeds were used by Schwartz to purchase a set of solar panels that he installed at his home in Oakland, California.
You Might Also Like
Sun, 03/01/2026 - 07:59
Ripple CEO Urges Banks to Act in Good Faith
ByAlex Dovbnya
Notably, Schwartz does not even own that house anymore, according to his latest tweet.
AdvertisementSchwartz's current net worth
Schwartz frequently shares information about his personal crypto holdings, which sets him apart from the rest of the Ripple executives.
He has confirmed that he continues to hold both Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH as well as several altcoins.
The Ripple CEO previously claimed that he owned roughly 20 million XRP, which was the biggest sum of the tokens that he has held at any point.
That said, the exact size of his net worth is unknown (it could be anywhere from $90 million to $500 million). It mainly depends on the value of his stake in Ripple. Schwartz famously opted for a 2% stake in the company instead of XRP holdings.
#Ripple News Advertisement
