# Key People Behind XRP & Ripple

> Meet the founders, executives, and key figures shaping XRP and the XRP Ledger. Complete profiles with backgrounds, roles, and contributions.

The founders, executives, and key figures who built XRP and are shaping its future.

AA

[AllAboutXRP Editorial](https://allaboutxrp.com/editorial)

·Accountable publisher [Jack Nelson](https://allaboutxrp.com/authors/jack-nelson)·Published February 23, 2026

Last reviewed:February 23, 2026

Answer in brief

XRP was created by three engineers — **Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz** — who wanted to build a better Bitcoin. Today, Ripple is led by CEO Brad Garlinghouse, President Monica Long, and CLO Stuart Alderoty. The company has grown from a startup to a **$50B+ valuation** with 900+ employees across 15 offices globally.

3

Founders

900+

Employees

15

Global Offices

2012

Founded

| Key facts |  |
| --- | --- |
| Original Name | OpenCoin (2012), renamed Ripple Labs (2013), then Ripple (2015) |
| XRP Ledger Launch | June 2, 2012 (ledger #32570) |
| Initial XRP Supply | 100 billion — all created at genesis, no mining |
| Founder Allocation | 20B XRP to founders (McCaleb 9B, Britto & Schwartz ~11B) |
| Ripple Allocation | 80B XRP to Ripple (55B placed in escrow Dec 2017) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |

## The Three Founders

| Name | Role | XRP Allocation | Status (2026) | Key Contribution |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jed McCaleb | Co-founder | 9B XRP (sold by 2022) | Left Ripple 2013; founded Stellar | Conceived original XRP Ledger concept |
| Arthur Britto | Co-founder | ~5.5B XRP (partially held) | Advisory role; very private | Core protocol architecture & consensus design |
| David Schwartz | Co-founder & CTO | ~5.5B XRP (partially held) | CTO Emeritus at Ripple | Built XRP Ledger; 13+ years of protocol development |

Jed McCaleb's Departure

McCaleb left Ripple in 2013 over strategic disagreements and founded Stellar (XLM). His agreement to sell 9B XRP over 7+ years created sustained sell pressure until his final sale in July 2022. This was the single largest known source of XRP sell pressure in history.

## Current Leadership

| Name | Title | At Ripple Since | Background | Notable Achievement |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Brad Garlinghouse | CEO | 2015 (CEO 2017) | Yahoo, Hightail, AOL | Led company through SEC lawsuit to $50B+ valuation |
| Monica Long | President | 2013 | Marketing/BD leadership | Longest-serving executive; oversees product & growth |
| Stuart Alderoty | Chief Legal Officer | 2019 | HSBC, CIT Group, AmEx | Architected SEC defense; $125M settlement (vs $2B sought) |
| David Schwartz | CTO Emeritus | 2011 (co-founder) | Cryptography, distributed systems | 13+ years building XRPL; community figure 'JoelKatz' |
| Emi Yoshikawa | VP Corp Strategy | 2019 | Blockchain policy, Japan markets | SBI partnership management; CBDC strategy |
| Markus Infanger | SVP, RippleX | 2020 | Visa, Swift, Deutsche Bank | XRPL ecosystem growth; developer adoption |

## Other Key Figures in XRP History

| Name | Role | Period | Significance |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Chris Larsen | Co-founder & Exec Chairman | 2012-present | Serial fintech entrepreneur (E-Loan, Prosper); major XRP holder; public face of crypto advocacy in Washington |
| Ryan Fugger | RipplePay Creator | 2004-2012 | Created the original Ripple concept (RipplePay); handed project to McCaleb/Schwartz team |
| Judge Analisa Torres | Federal Judge (SDNY) | 2020-2025 | Ruled XRP is not a security in programmatic sales; landmark crypto ruling |
| Gary Gensler | Former SEC Chair | 2021-2025 | Filed and pursued SEC v. Ripple case; left SEC in 2025 |
| SBI Kitao (Yoshitaka) | SBI Holdings CEO | 2016-present | Ripple's most vocal institutional advocate; drives XRP adoption across Asia through SBI Group |
| Wietse Wind | XRPL Developer | 2017-present | Created XUMM wallet (now Xaman); largest independent XRPL developer |

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Who created XRP?**

XRP was created by Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz in 2011-2012. They designed the XRP Ledger as a faster alternative to Bitcoin, capable of settling transactions in seconds.

**Who runs Ripple today?**

Brad Garlinghouse is CEO, Monica Long is President, and Stuart Alderoty is Chief Legal Officer. David Schwartz serves as CTO Emeritus after transitioning in 2025.

**Did the founders keep any XRP?**

Yes. The founders allocated 20B XRP to themselves. Jed McCaleb received 9B and completed selling his allocation by 2022. Arthur Britto and David Schwartz retain portions of their allocations.

**Who is the CTO of Ripple?**

David Schwartz served as CTO from Ripple's founding through 2025, when he transitioned to CTO Emeritus. He remains active in XRPL protocol development.

## Continue Learning

[Full Leadership TeamDetailed executive profiles](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/leadership)[What is Ripple?The company explained](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/what-is-ripple)[XRP HistoryComplete timeline 2011-2026](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/history)[PartnershipsBanks & institutions using XRP](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/partnerships)[AcquisitionsRipple's $3.7B strategy](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/acquisitions)[Brad GarlinghouseCEO deep dive](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/brad-garlinghouse)

## Learn About XRP

Now that you know the people, learn about the technology they built and why it matters.

[What is XRP? →](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/what-is-xrp)[How XRP Works](https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/how-does-xrp-work)

_Last updated: February 23, 2026. Written by the AllAboutXRP Editorial Team._

---

Source: https://allaboutxrp.com/learn/key-people · AllAboutXRP · Full index: https://allaboutxrp.com/llms-full.txt