Crypto commentator Coach JV has pushed back against renewed concern surrounding former Ripple CTO David Schwartz’s XRP sales, arguing that the reduction in Schwartz’s holdings has been publicly known for years and should not be presented as evidence that he suddenly abandoned XRP.
The debate intensified after Schwartz recently disclosed that his XRP holdings had fallen from a historical peak of around 26 million XRP to approximately 3 million XRP.
Coach JV argues that the key issue is context. “This is not some groundbreaking revelation. This is not a sudden liquidation. And this is certainly not evidence that he has abandoned XRP,” he said.
Schwartz’s own previous disclosures support the point that his reduction occurred over an extended period rather than through a single recent liquidation.
Schwartz Has Discussed Selling XRP for Years
Schwartz publicly disclosed in April 2024 that he had held approximately 26 million XRP at his peak.
At the time, he also explained that he followed what he called a reasonable risk-minimization strategy because of his personal discomfort with large financial exposure. The Crypto Basic covered the disclosure when Schwartz revealed his 26 million XRP peak holdings.
By May 2026, Schwartz said his remaining XRP position was still above one million tokens, while his Bitcoin and Ethereum holdings had been reduced even more dramatically. He described himself as highly risk-averse and said he preferred lowering exposure even if doing so meant missing additional upside.
His latest disclosure now puts his XRP balance at around 3 million XRP, compared with the historical high near 26 million.
That implies a reduction of approximately 23 million XRP over time, not a 23 million XRP sale occurring during the current market decline. The Crypto Basic recently detailed Schwartz’s confirmation that his holdings fell from about 26 million XRP to 3 million.
Schwartz Sold 2.5M XRP in 2025
Schwartz also recently provided more detail about one particular year.
He said he sold approximately 2.5 million XRP during 2025, with most of those tokens having been received in 2020 and 2023.
According to Schwartz, those sales resulted in approximately $1.7 million in capital gains taxes.
He also said XRP sales are governed by written plans established with an attorney at least 30 days beforehand. Schwartz explained that this arrangement is intended to avoid accusations that he might trade using privileged knowledge, such as information about an undisclosed XRP Ledger bug.
This further weakens the interpretation that his latest comments revealed a spontaneous decision to exit XRP during the current downturn.
Coach JV Says Risk Management Is Being Confused With Abandonment
Coach JV’s criticism centers on the difference between gradual portfolio risk reduction and a sudden loss of conviction.
He argued that some social media accounts are recycling old information without the historical context and presenting it as a fresh development because fearful narratives generate more engagement.
That claim about the motives of other influencers is Coach JV’s opinion rather than something established by the XRP sales themselves.
However, the underlying timeline is verifiable: Schwartz has been discussing his XRP holdings and risk-management strategy publicly for years.
His reductions are also not exclusive to XRP.
Schwartz recently said his Bitcoin holdings had fallen from around 1,500 BTC to 1 BTC, while his Ethereum position declined from roughly 40,000 ETH to six ETH.
That broader portfolio reduction supports Schwartz’s explanation that risk aversion, rather than XRP alone, has influenced his selling decisions.
Schwartz Has Not Been Buying XRP Either
Schwartz has also made clear that he is not currently accumulating XRP.
When asked directly whether he buys XRP or simply manages an existing stockpile, the former Ripple CTO said he “hasn’t bought XRP in a long time.”
He explained that he has sold nearly all of the digital assets he has held because he is uncomfortable with risk. At the same time, Schwartz said he continues to own “quite a bit” of Ripple stock, which itself represents more financial exposure than he would ideally prefer.
This means neither extreme interpretation fully reflects his disclosures.
Schwartz has clearly reduced his XRP exposure substantially and has not been actively buying XRP. But the evidence also does not show a sudden 2026 liquidation or prove that he recently abandoned confidence in XRP.
XRP currently trades around $1.05, with CoinMarketCap showing a 24-hour range of approximately $1.04 to $1.08.
For Coach JV, the larger lesson is to distinguish new information from previously disclosed facts, particularly during periods when falling prices make negative narratives more likely to gain attention.