Key Takeaways:
- Ripple co-founder Arthur Britto broke a 14-year public silence with a cryptic emoji post on X, verified by Ripple CTO David Schwartz.
- Britto, a key figure in the creation of the XRP Ledger and Ripple Labs, has maintained an intensely private life with minimal public presence.
- XRP surged over 8% after Britto’s post, though the rise may also reflect broader market optimism.
Arthur Britto, the elusive co-founder of Ripple Labs and co-creator of the XRP Ledger, broke his 14-year public silence with a cryptic post on X.
On June 24, Britto shared a single emoji – a face without a mouth – from his long-dormant account, prompting widespread speculation.
😶
— Arthur Britto (@ahbritto) June 23, 2025
Ripple CTO David Schwartz confirmed the post’s authenticity, stating it was not a hack.
Britto, who helped build the XRP Ledger alongside Schwartz and Jed McCaleb in 2012, has maintained an intensely private life.
He has never given interviews, avoided public appearances, and had not posted on social media until now.
Despite being a key figure in Ripple’s formation, he is rarely seen or heard publicly.
Beyond Ripple, Britto is the founder of blockchain firm PolySign and was briefly a director at Bitstamp.
His name also surfaced in legal cases, including Ripple’s SEC lawsuit and a 2015 dispute with McCaleb over the creation of Stellar.
Following his unexpected post, XRP jumped over 8%, reaching a high of $2.20.
While the rally may also be tied to improving geopolitical sentiment, Britto’s rare appearance added a layer of intrigue to XRP’s momentum and reignited interest in the project’s mysterious co-founder.