Arthur Britto, the enigmatic co-founder of Ripple, has broken his silence with his first public post since helping launch the blockchain-focused company in 2011.
On Monday, Britto posted on X for the first time since creating his account in August 2011, sharing a “face without a mouth” emoji—often interpreted as speechlessness, though open to various meanings.
Ripple co-founder David Schwartz later confirmed on X that the post was genuine, assuring followers it was neither a hack nor a compromise.
What Is Arthur Britto Known For?
Arthur Britto is best known as one of the original creators of the XRP Ledger, launched in 2012 alongside David Schwartz and Mt. Gox founder Jed McCaleb. He also played a key role in introducing XRP, the native token of the ledger.
Britto co-founded NewCoin with Schwartz, McCaleb, and Chris Larsen—a venture that would eventually be renamed OpenCoin and later rebranded as Ripple Labs. After its formation, Britto stepped into an advisory role.
Despite his foundational contributions, Britto is perhaps most famous for his elusiveness. There are no verified photos of him, he has never given a public interview or statement—aside from a recent emoji post—and he appears to make a deliberate effort to stay out of the spotlight.
He is also the founder and president of blockchain infrastructure firm PolySign. In addition, business records show he briefly served as a director for crypto exchange Bitstamp from May 2014 until September 2015.
Britto’s name surfaces in several U.S. court filings, including the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs, primarily to acknowledge his role in creating XRP. In 2015, he also filed a lawsuit against Jed McCaleb in California, alleging breach of contract over McCaleb’s creation of Stellar, which Britto claimed had copied Ripple’s code.
Britto is very much real—just intensely private
Britto’s mysterious absence from the public eye has fueled conspiracy theories questioning his very existence. However, multiple sources have confirmed he is real—just deeply private.
“He is a separate and distinct human being in his own right. But he is intensely private,” David Schwartz stated in a post on X in November, addressing questions about Britto’s identity.
In 2019, The Block reported that Ripple’s communications team explained Britto’s desire for privacy stemmed from the pressures of leadership. They described him as “an introvert and super private,” adding that he chose not to be a public figure for personal reasons.
XRP Jumps Over 8% in Latest Surge
XRP has surged 8.1% in the past 24 hours, with most of the gains occurring within 14 hours of Arthur Britto’s post on X, as of the time of writing.
The token dropped to a 24-hour low of $1.97 on Monday at 5 p.m. UTC—about an hour after Britto’s post—but has since rallied to around $2.20.
Still, the timing also aligns with a broader market rebound, driven by renewed optimism over a potential ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict.
