Arthur Britto, considered a “ghost” of the Ripple (XRP) blockchain, is making headlines after 14 years of total silence. We take a closer look at this mysterious figure in the world of cryptocurrencies and his role in the recent surge in the price of XRP.
A mysterious co-founder of Ripple breaks his silence
While Brad Garlinghouse is the most well-known figure at Ripple (XRP), he wasn’t the only one who created the blockchain. A co-founder of XRP Ledger, Arthur Britto, was also part of the team that brought the vision behind Ripple to life.
Alongside other figures such as David Schwartz and Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto was there at the beginning of the project, but never in the spotlight. Extremely discreet, he has never given interviews, never participated in public forums, never appeared in photos… To the point that some people wondered at one point if he was even real!
David Schwartz confirmed in November 2024 that he was indeed a real person, but one who wished to remain discreet at all costs. Suffice to say that his reappearance this week has caused quite a stir, as the “ghost of Ripple” seems elusive.
True to form, Arthur Britto returned to X with an enigmatic message consisting of a single emoji:
😶
— Arthur Britto (@ahbritto) June 23, 2025
Ripple’s “Satoshi Nakamoto”?
David Schwartz, who is still in contact with the developer, confirmed that this was a genuine post and not a hack or compromised account. As for what it means, that remains a mystery… Arthur Britto has not written any other messages.
In any case, the post comes at a key moment for Ripple. The blockchain is posting record volumes and the price of XRP has risen sharply since yesterday, up 9.5% in the last 24 hours, against the backdrop of a ceasefire in the Middle East. However, Arthur Britto’s reappearance seems to have been a catalyst, with XRP outperforming other top 10 cryptocurrencies.
It is still unclear what Arthur Britto looks like or what he has been doing since Ripple was founded. However, we do know that he originally held 2% of all XRP, and thus must have made a fortune alongside the blockchain’s co-founders.
