David Schwartz, Ripple's CTO Emeritus, has firmly rejected persistent conspiracy theories suggesting that Ripple's non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with partners hide a secret U.S. government plan for XRP. Speaking on April 23, 2026, Schwartz addressed the speculation head-on, stating unequivocally that no hidden government agenda exists.
Schwartz explained that the NDAs Ripple signs are standard business practices required by banking partners to protect their commercial interests. He clarified that while Ripple has many business secrets, they relate to routine partnerships—not secret government deals. 'There is no conspiracy. There is no secret plan,' Schwartz said, adding that nothing major with the government and XRP exists, as far as he knows.
The rumors have intensified amid expectations for the final vote on the CLARITY Act and Ripple's recent national trust bank status. Schwartz warned investors that building strategies on supposed hidden signals or secret contracts is dangerous. 'About 99% of what you see is what there is,' he commented, emphasizing that the escrow system is transparent and traceable on-chain.
Ripple’s partnerships with major banks like Deutsche Bank and Société Générale are public, but these institutions use RippleNet for messaging and settlements in fiat and stablecoins such as RLUSD—not XRP. Schwartz urged the XRP community to focus on factual developments rather than unfounded conspiracy theories.
