Ex-Ripple CTO Rejects Epstein Link to XRP/Stellar After Resurfaced 2014 Email
David Schwartz, former Ripple CTO, publicly rejected suggestions that Jeffrey Epstein had direct ties to Ripple, XRP or Stellar after a resurfaced 2014 email from Blockstream co‑founder Austin Hill circulated on X. The email — sent to Joichi Ito, Reid Hoffman and Epstein — criticized Ripple and Jed McCaleb’s later Stellar project and recommended cutting overlapping investors to protect Blockstream’s interests. Screenshots of the message triggered speculation that Epstein influenced early crypto projects. Schwartz said there is no evidence anyone at Ripple or Stellar met Epstein or received funding from him; analysts note timelines that place XRP’s launch in 2012 and Stellar’s founding in 2014, making any 2014 reference more likely aimed at Stellar. Schwartz also warned that framing projects as enemies undermines industry unity. For traders: the clarification aims to reassure XRP holders that Ripple’s operations and XRP’s role in cross‑border payments are not implicated by the Epstein files. Primary keywords: XRP, Ripple, Epstein, Stellar. Secondary/semantic keywords: Ripple CTO, 2014 email, Blockstream, Jed McCaleb, crypto controversy.
Neutral
The news is primarily reputational and clarificatory rather than evidencing any operational or financial link between Jeffrey Epstein and Ripple/XRP. Schwartz’s denial and the timeline distinction (XRP launched in 2012; Stellar founded in 2014) reduce the likelihood of immediate market panic tied specifically to XRP. For short‑term trading, any volatility would likely be limited to speculative knee‑jerk moves on social media; institutional or sustained selling seems unlikely absent concrete evidence of funding or meetings. Long‑term fundamentals for XRP — such as regulatory developments, Ripple’s business traction in cross‑border payments, and legal outcomes — remain the main price drivers. Therefore the expected price impact on XRP is neutral: reassurance from a high‑profile former executive should curb prolonged negative sentiment, though short, mild volatility from headlines and retail speculation is possible.