Schwartz Says No Big Secret XRP Adoption News Hidden in Ripple’s 1,700 NDAs

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has said there are no big secret XRP projects hidden behind nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

In a recent podcast, Schwartz clarified that while NDAs are common in Ripple’s business dealings, they are largely standard practice. He stressed that they are not evidence of hidden, “earth-shattering” developments waiting to be revealed.

Key Points

• Ripple CTO David Schwartz says no hidden XRP breakthroughs are buried in Ripple’s 1,700 NDAs.

• He explains NDAs are standard business practice, not proof of secret, game-changing XRP adoption plans.

• Schwartz dismisses claims of hidden government or multi-year XRP catalysts as unfounded speculation.

• He urges investors to focus on visible Ripple progress instead of conspiracy-driven price expectations.

Ripple’s 1,700 NDAs

Back in 2025, Ripple’s 1,700 NDAs with financial institutions gained attention. Notably, the NDA topic became public knowledge during Ripple’s lawsuit with the SEC.

Since then, XRP holders have speculated that something hidden around these agreements could boost the XRP price once revealed.

However, Schwartz has now put an end to those speculations. He explained that most agreements the company signs include confidentiality clauses simply because partners want to keep their business private.

According to him, the idea that these agreements conceal long-running, game-changing XRP adoption plans is largely misplaced.

Schwartz emphasized that “what you see is what you get” in most cases, adding that rumors from unofficial channels are typically either false or become public within a short time if they hold any truth.

He noted that, to his knowledge, there is no long-standing secret initiative involving XRP, nor any coordinated government plan tied to the asset.

No “Hidden Catalyst” Driving XRP

The former CTO also warned investors against relying on conspiracy narratives when making decisions about XRP. He stated that anyone basing expectations on the belief that a major secret event will suddenly boost XRP is likely misleading themselves.

While acknowledging that he has visibility into developments at Ripple and within parts of the XRP ecosystem, including the XRPL Foundation, Schwartz added that he does not have insight into every external entity.

Still, he maintained that there is no evidence of a hidden, multi-year plan waiting in the background.

Follow-Up Post Reinforces Message

Following the podcast, Schwartz doubled down on his stance in a post on X amid rising questions from community members.

He clarified that while “lots of secrets” do exist due to NDAs, they should not be confused with sweeping theories circulating online.

Schwartz stressed that claims suggesting something massive is about to happen, or that governments are preparing a major XRP-related move, are “almost always completely false”. He added that investing time, money, or emotional energy based on such narratives is misguided.

No, I'm saying there are lots of secrets. Many of Ripple's partners insist on NDAs to keep their business secret. I'm saying the conspiracy theories that constantly claim something big is about to happen or that the government is going to do something massive are almost always…

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) April 23, 2026

Community Reactions

Community figure Daniel Keller suggested the remarks could either mark the end of ‘XRP riddles’ or the beginning of a new phase of interpretations.

Meanwhile, crypto founder Mr. Cauliman sided with Schwartz, saying it was a reality check many XRP holders needed. Just because some information isn’t public doesn’t mean every theory is true.

Another user, Ocean, also agreed with Schwartz’s stance and mocked people who would still treat his words as hidden messages.

David Schwartz: “What you see is what you get”

“if you are thinking there is some supernatural or cosmic element favoring a project, I think you probably have a little bit of delusion, to be honest.”

Lore bros: “He is speaking in Riddles, it’s coded, it’s an IQ test”

— Ocean ◽️ (@OceanXRP_) April 23, 2026

In sum, Schwartz’s remarks encourage individuals to focus on real, visible progress instead of rumors and speculation about Ripple and XRP, especially when making investment decisions.