Ripple’s former chief technology officer David Schwartz has played down his influence over XRP’s price after facing renewed criticism from cryptocurrency investors, as the token trades around $1.16 following months of losses.
Summary
- David Schwartz acknowledged having limited influence over XRP prices after criticism from cryptocurrency investors online.
- Schwartz said he would block users posting irrelevant crypto messages beneath unrelated conversations on X.
- XRP traded near $1.16 on November 8 after losing nearly 50% over the previous year.
- The token’s daily RSI stood near oversold levels while MACD readings remained negative amid selling.
- Schwartz previously disputed claims that his XRP liquidity remarks amounted to guarantees about future prices.
In a November 7 post, Schwartz complained that users were repeatedly entering unrelated conversations on X to accuse him of fraud or promote XRP. The discussion later turned to his responsibility for the token’s performance when another user challenged him over the frustration among holders.
Responding to a question about whether he could honestly claim to have no influence on XRP’s price, the Ripple veteran acknowledged that his involvement was not entirely without effect, but maintained that his contribution was limited.
David Schwartz Says His Influence on XRP Price Is Limited
The exchange began when an X user questioned whether Schwartz could distance himself from the anger directed at him over XRP’s disappointing performance.
“Don’t run from this. Can you honestly say you have nothing to do with it? People’s anger isn’t baseless,” the user wrote.
Schwartz responded without dismissing the possibility that his actions or public statements could have some influence on the cryptocurrency.
“Can I honestly say that I have nothing to do with the price of XRP? I guess probably not nothing. But very little,” Schwartz said.
The user subsequently argued that investors’ frustration went beyond price declines, accusing Ripple of allowing unrealistic expectations to persist while influencers promoted ambitious forecasts.
In a further reply, the critic acknowledged that Schwartz had previously challenged extreme price predictions but questioned whether Ripple had done enough to address the expectations circulating among holders.
The discussion did not establish any specific action by Schwartz that caused XRP’s latest decline. His response concerned the extent of his personal influence, not a new company policy or an announcement about the token’s market value.
Ripple Veteran Warns Critics Against Disrupting Unrelated Discussions
Before the price exchange, Schwartz had complained about the growing number of crypto-related replies appearing beneath his comments on unrelated subjects.
According to the Ripple veteran, some users had followed him into conversations with other people and posted accusations of fraud, insults or promotional messages about XRP.
He explained that the repeated interruptions created problems for the people he was addressing because their followers received the irrelevant messages.
Schwartz said he had begun blocking accounts engaging in the behavior, regardless of whether their comments supported or criticized him.
He specifically mentioned accusations such as “scammer” alongside positive messages such as “XRP is great!” as examples of replies he considered inappropriate when posted in unrelated conversations.
His objection was not directed at criticism itself. Schwartz said he had no problem with users questioning his conduct or accusing him of wrongdoing when their comments contained substantive arguments and appeared in relevant discussions.
He encouraged critics to use their own threads or reply directly to his posts about cryptocurrency. Users previously blocked for disrupting other conversations could request reinstatement if they agreed to stop.
XRP Price Falls Nearly 50% Over the Past Year
The disagreement unfolded while XRP continued trading below levels recorded earlier in 2026.
According to XRP market data, the token changed hands around $1.16 on November 8, down approximately 1% over the preceding 24 hours.
Its weekly decline reached 7.35%, while losses over the past month stood at 17.17%. Over the previous year, XRP had fallen 49.78%, leaving the token considerably below its July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.
Market capitalization stood near $73.61 billion, placing XRP fifth among cryptocurrencies. Trading volume reached approximately $865.6 million over 24 hours, with prices fluctuating between $1.15 and $1.17.
The daily chart showed XRP below $1.20, with immediate support around $1.15. A further decline could bring $1.10 into focus, while a recovery above $1.20 would put the $1.30 area back in view.
Technical indicators continued pointing to weak momentum. The Relative Strength Index stood at 31.24, approaching the oversold threshold of 30, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence remained negative at -0.0474.
Its signal line stood at -0.0387, with a negative histogram reading of -0.0087. The figures showed that bearish momentum remained in place without a bullish crossover on the daily chart.
Schwartz Has Previously Rejected Extreme XRP Price Predictions
Schwartz has faced similar questions about his comments on XRP’s potential value.
In May, crypto.news covered his rejection of claims that Ripple controlled a mechanism capable of dramatically raising XRP’s price.
He previously rejected claims of misleading investors through a 2017 statement about XRP liquidity, explaining that the original discussion was not intended as a guaranteed price forecast.
The Ripple veteran has maintained a connection to the company since stepping away from day-to-day responsibilities as chief technology officer at the end of 2025.
In July, he discussed his earlier cryptocurrency sales, including XRP sold around $0.10 and Ethereum near $1. He acknowledged regretting some of those decisions while explaining that reducing financial risk had influenced his choices.
