Being a CTO is pretty wild.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz revealed in a recent tweet that he rarely talks about his role at Ripple.

Schwartz, along with Jed McCaleb and Arthur Britto, began developing the XRP Ledger (XRPL) in 2011. Fascinated by Bitcoin, they set out to create a better version that improved upon its limitations, with the goal of creating a digital asset that was more sustainable and purpose-built for payments. XRP Ledger was launched the following year in mid-2012.

Schwartz was the principal architect of the XRP Ledger, overseeing fundamental innovations in payment networks and blockchain-based financial infrastructure, before becoming Ripple’s CTO in 2018.

In late September, Schwartz announced that it was time to step down from his day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO at the end of this year, and that he would continue to work in Ripple’s offices as CTO emeritus.

During Schwartz’s seven-year journey as Ripple CTO, he revealed an aspect of his job that is less known to the public.

Is CTO pretty wild?

“Being a CTO is pretty wild because half the time you look like this and half the time you look like a pinned tweet,” Schwartz wrote in a tweet.

Schwartz accompanied the tweet with an image of himself in a suit, which has been compared to the casual look in his pinned tweet. This statement is clearly playful and suggests a dual-pronged approach to his role as Ripple CTO, both casual and formal.

The tweet caught the attention of the XRP community, with one X user speculating that the Ripple CTO’s tweet had a deeper message. Mr. Schwartz set aside this presumption, saying he is who he is and nothing more.

Schwartz has indicated that he intends to step away from his day-to-day duties as Ripple CTO by the end of the year, but said he has no intention of leaving the XRP community.

In his final role at Ripple, Mr. Schwartz joined Ripple’s Board of Directors to continue supporting the company’s mission and long-term vision. He also joined Evernorth as a strategic advisor.