Arthur Britto, co-founder of Ripple and a key architect of the XRP Ledger, has ended nearly 14 years of silence by posting a single emoji on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on June 23, 2024. Known for his extreme privacy and elusive presence—never having given interviews or been photographed—Britto's unexpected post stirred speculation within the cryptocurrency community, including concerns about a possible account compromise.
Ripple's CTO, David Schwartz, confirmed that the post was genuine and not the result of a hacking incident. Schwartz has maintained contact with Britto over the years and even humorously remarked on potential conspiracy theories about the event. Britto is also known for his role as President of PolySign, a corporate payment infrastructure provider, and for his influential contributions to crypto technology, including filing numerous patents since 2006.
This social media reappearance has garnered significant attention, with Britto's account approaching 30,000 followers and the emoji post accumulating nearly 800,000 views on X. The community is eagerly awaiting any possible follow-up communications from him. The news highlights a rare glimpse into one of crypto's most private pioneers and has sparked renewed discussions around Ripple and XRP’s potential developments.