Ripple's co-founder Arthur Britto breaks 14-year silence as SEC case enters final stage

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For the first time in nearly 14 years, Arthur Britto, co-founder of Ripple Labs and the XRP Ledger (XRPL), broke his silence on X with a new post on Monday.

David Schwartz, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, who is also one of the original architects of the XRPL, confirmed Britto’s online reappearance, assuring that his post was authentic and ruling out any hacking incident.

Britto, a key figure in the development of the XRPL, is known for his extreme privacy. Unlike Ripple executives such as Schwartz, Brad Garlinghouse, and Chris Larsen, Britto has never given interviews, appeared in public, or participated in forums.

His absence from the public eye has fueled speculation about his identity, with some even questioning whether he exists.

However, his involvement is well-documented. Britto’s name appears in business records, legal filings, and public statements from colleagues, including the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs.

In 2015, Britto filed a lawsuit against Jed McCaleb over the founding of Stellar, alleging breach of contract and code copying. The dispute was ultimately settled privately.

Critical moment

Britto’s recent statement, featuring a single emoji, comes at a pivotal moment in the legal battle between the SEC and Ripple Labs.

Both parties are currently awaiting a ruling from Judge Analisa Torres on their joint motion to advance the settlement process and bring the years-long litigation to a close.

If Judge Torres approves the joint motion from Ripple and the SEC, the $125 million penalty held in escrow will be distributed, with $50 million going to the SEC and $75 million being returned to Ripple.

The approval would officially end the long-running SEC-Ripple lawsuit, resolve all pending appeals and cross-appeals, and allow both parties to move forward, closing one of the crypto industry’s most high-profile cases.

However, if the settlement is rejected, the full $125 million penalty and the injunction against Ripple’s institutional XRP sales could remain in effect. The parties may be forced back into litigation or renegotiation, potentially restarting appeals and prolonging the case.

Legal experts warn that a denial could push the final resolution into 2026 or beyond, prolonging uncertainty for Ripple, XRP, and prospective spot XRP ETFs, which analysts say have a 95% chance of SEC approval.

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