Arthur Britto returns with mysterious X post after 14-years of silence

Arthur Britto, one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger and co-founder of Ripple Labs, has re-emerged from years of public silence with a single cryptic post. Britto shared a face-without-mouth emoji on his X (formerly Twitter) account marking his first post in over 14 years and sparking waves of speculation across the crypto community.

The account, created in August 2011, had been dormant since its inception. Britto’s sudden digital reappearance caught many off guard, given his longstanding reputation for intense privacy and near-total absence from public discourse. The post quickly fueled curiosity among XRP supporters and conspiracy theorists alike.

Confirmation from the Inside

Ripple co-founder and Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz swiftly confirmed the authenticity of the post, assuring users that Britto’s account had not been hacked. “It was not a hack or compromise,” Schwartz wrote on X, shutting down speculation about account security.

Despite co-creating one of the most influential blockchain protocols in the world, Britto has never given an interview, made a public statement, or revealed his image. His ghostlike presence has led to persistent rumors that he might not even exist rumors that Ripple insiders and court records have long refuted.

The legacy of a ghost architect

Arthur Britto, alongside Schwartz and Mt. Gox founder Jed McCaleb, launched the XRP Ledger in 2012, introducing the XRP token shortly after. The three also founded a company initially named NewCoin, which later became OpenCoin and finally rebranded as Ripple Labs. Britto served as an adviser during the company’s formative years.

Britto’s contributions extend beyond Ripple. He is the founder and current president of blockchain infrastructure firm PolySign and previously appeared as a director on crypto exchange Bitstamp’s corporate filings between 2014 and 2015.

His name has surfaced in various legal proceedings, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs, primarily to acknowledge his role in XRP’s creation. In 2015, Britto also filed a lawsuit against McCaleb in California, alleging that the launch of Stellar constituted a breach of contract and unauthorized use of Ripple’s source code.

A private figure, not a myth

While some questioned Britto’s existence, Schwartz has consistently affirmed that his colleague is a real albeit deeply private individual. “He is a separate and distinct human being in his own right. But he is intensely private,” Schwartz posted last November.

Ripple’s communications team told The Block in 2019 that Britto chose to avoid the spotlight because of the stress that public leadership can bring. He was described as an introvert who simply did not wish to become a public figure.

XRP sees price boost amid market optimism

XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger, surged 8.1% over the past 24 hours, with much of the upward movement occurring within 14 hours of Britto’s post. The token hit a low of $1.97,roughly an hour after the emoji went live before climbing to around $2.20.

While some attribute the price movement to Britto’s post, the surge also coincides with broader crypto market optimism following news of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.