David Schwartz, Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, has commented on whether XRP price could one day reach extreme levels such as $50 or even $100.
He offered a perspective that cuts through both blind optimism and outright dismissal.
Key Points
- David Schwartz says XRP reaching $50–$100 is not entirely impossible.
- He notes crypto history shows “unlikely” outcomes can still happen over time.
- Schwartz argues prices reflect real investor conviction, not hype or hope.
- XRP staying below $10 suggests weak belief in extreme price targets.
Ripple CTO on $50 to $100 XRP
Notably, the discussion began when an X user urged Schwartz to publicly tell XRP holders that such price targets were impossible, arguing that unrealistic expectations were harming investors.
However, Schwartz declined to make such a definitive statement. He explained that his past experience in crypto has made him cautious about declaring any price outcome impossible.
“I don’t feel comfortable saying something like that,” Schwartz remarked.
Why Schwartz Won’t Say XRP Can’t Reach $100
Schwartz acknowledged that while he does not believe a $50–$100 XRP price is likely, history has repeatedly shown that “unlikely” outcomes still happen in crypto.
He pointed to his own surprise during earlier market cycles, recalling a time when XRP trading above $0.25 and Bitcoin reaching $100 both seemed unthinkable. Today, however, XRP is trading near $1.70, while Bitcoin trades around $83,000.
I don't fell comfortable saying something like that. While I don't think it's likely, I didn't think it was likely that XRP would ever hit $0.25. I started selling XRP at $0.10 because it seemed insane. I remember when bitcoin hitting $100 seemed like an impossible dream.
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) January 29, 2026
Market Prices Reflect Collective Belief
According to Schwartz, if a meaningful number of rational investors genuinely believed there was even a 10% chance XRP could reach $100 within a few years, the current market price would look very different.
In that scenario, those investors would aggressively accumulate XRP at prices below $10, quickly drying up supply at lower levels. The fact that XRP continues to trade well below $10 suggests that most market participants do not hold that belief strongly enough to commit significant capital.
From Schwartz’s perspective, this is a clear signal that extreme price predictions are not widely supported by real-money conviction.
He also observed that major bull runs often stem from unexpected events rather than outcomes everyone is already anticipating. Overall, Schwartz stressed that markets price assets based on what investors are willing to risk, not on hope or hype.
“XRP Can’t Be Dirt Cheap”
Meanwhile, one X user asked Schwartz to clarify his 2017 statement in which he said XRP’s price cannot be “dirt cheap,” in light of his recent comments on $50 and $100 price targets.
In response, Schwartz explained that a low XRP price actually makes the asset more expensive to use for payments and exchanges, as larger amounts of XRP are required to move value.
On the other hand, a higher XRP price would make transactions cheaper and more efficient, since fewer tokens would be needed to process the same payments.
It means that a low price for XRP actually makes it more expensive to use for payments and exchanges.
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) January 29, 2026
