XRP News Today: Ripple Co-Founder Arthur Britto Returns to Social Media After 14 Years

Arthur Britto, the co-founder of Ripple, made a surprising reappearance on the social media platform X after nearly 14 years of silence. His first post on the platform was a simple emoji, which immediately sparked a wave of reactions and speculation within the XRP community. Britto, known for his enigmatic presence, has never given an interview or publicly shown his face, making his return all the more intriguing.

Britto joined X in August 2011 but had remained inactive until his recent post on June 23, 2025. His account, followed by over 17,000 users, highlights the enduring interest in his activities. As one of the three co-creators of the XRP Ledger, alongside David Schwartz and Jed McCaleb, Britto's contributions include submitting the code lines that generated the 100 billion XRP tokens on June 2, 2012. He also received 2% of the total XRP supply, equivalent to two billion tokens at the time. His mysterious persona is further enhanced by the lack of any public content associating a face with him, and his history in video game development, credited on titles like Crypt of Medea (1984) and Armor Alley (1991).

The significance of Britto's reappearance is amplified by the timing, as Ripple is at a critical juncture in its institutional ambitions. The company has made significant progress against the SEC and is seeking to strengthen its position in institutional payment infrastructures. Britto's return, even if silent, could indicate a strategic move or a revival of a crypto project or an alternative vision of the XRP Ledger. David Schwartz, the current Chief Technology Officer of Ripple, has confirmed that he is still in contact with Britto, suggesting that this message may not be a mere anomaly.

Beyond the technical implications, Britto's return fuels deeper narratives about decentralized governance in crypto. His prolonged absence has led to various theories, including the possibility that he might be a collective pseudonym or a myth invented by Ripple to mask governance imbalances. His reappearance, even if silent, gives flesh to a character some thought fictitious or totally removed from the game. This wordless yet loaded message could mark a discreet reactivation of Arthur Britto within the crypto ecosystem, opening the door to a new phase of strategic questioning and potentially concrete decisions.

In a sector where founders' identities often have structural consequences on the perception of a project, Britto's reappearance could reshape narratives, either strengthening or shaking trust. While the message is vague, it has already begun to have its effects, prompting the community to speculate about his intentions and the role he might play in the future of XRP. The mystery surrounding Britto's return remains intact, but his reappearance is a significant development that could have far-reaching implications for Ripple and the broader crypto ecosystem.