Ripple’s CTO, David Schwartz, has stirred up conversations in the XRP community with his subtle reply to a popular post on X.
When a crypto influencer asked followers to “post a pic only your fandom would understand,” Schwartz shared a photo of solar panels on a rooftop. This simple image reminded many of his past comments about selling Ethereum too early.
The post went viral among XRP holders who saw it as an indirect message to stay patient and avoid selling their XRP too soon.
The $100 Million Lesson in Patience
For context, the reference traces back to Schwartz’s well-known story from 2023, when he revealed that he sold 40,000 ETH for $1 each to fund a solar panel project on a home he no longer owns.
He admitted that the decision cost him a fortune, as the Ethereum he sold for $40,000 would later soar to over $100 million in value.
At the time, the XRP community interpreted the anecdote as a warning not to repeat the same mistake with XRP. Many believed the Ripple CTO was subtly encouraging long-term holders to stay the course, even during periods of price stagnation.
More Regret from Selling ETH
This is not the first time Schwartz has used personal experiences to communicate lessons about patience and conviction.
In May 2024, he revealed that he originally bought the 40,000 ETH during Ethereum’s 2014 ICO for just 20 BTC ($12,400 then), only to sell too early for short-term utility. The choice made sense at the time but has become one of crypto’s most well-known missed opportunities.
Nearly a decade later, his rooftop photo echoes that same lesson. It also quietly encourages XRP holders to think twice before losing faith.
https://t.co/bgda64sYKL pic.twitter.com/ZCu17OsGK1
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) October 7, 2025
Indeed, XRP proponents saw Schwartz’s post as a quiet message to stay strong. As it spread across the community, it even fueled speculation about the future price outlook for XRP.
“Sell your solar panel and buy XRP,” one community member remarked.
Ongoing Frustration About XRP
Notably, Schwartz’s indirect message arrives at a moment when some early XRP investors have expressed frustration over the asset’s lack of explosive growth.
Last week, Schwartz announced he will step down from his Ripple CTO position by year-end, though he will remain on the board as CTO Emeritus. Crypto Bitlord, an early XRP investor turned critic, called it a “sell signal.”
He pointed to Ripple’s lack of sustainable revenue and rising competition from SWIFT’s new blockchain initiative. Bitlord, once bullish, now questions XRP’s long-term potential, frustrated by years of perceived underperformance, even though the coin is up over 400% since last year.
ALERT 🚨 Time to sell $XRP ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
1) CTO stepping down to “research other use cases for XRP” (besides what Ripple is focused on)”
2) We’re at the stage where they start to openly admit failure
3) This comes at a critical time where SWIFT announced partnership with CONSENSUS https://t.co/ZnFhpHKoE6
— Crypto Bitlord (@crypto_bitlord7) September 30, 2025
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