XRP Ledger Co-Founder Arthur Britto Breaks 14-Year Silence on X – What Does It Mean?

Arthur Britto, co-founder of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has broken a 14-year silence on X (formerly Twitter) with a cryptic tweet featuring a single ‘Face Without Mouth’ emoji.

Britto, who joined X in August 2011, suddenly posted on June 23, 2025, fueling many theories. Market watchers believe his unexpected reappearance is not random and could signal something significant for the network.

Who is Arthur Britto?

Arthur Britto is one of the original architects behind the XRP Ledger. Alongside developers David Schwartz and Jed McCaleb, Britto played a crucial role in creating the XRPL as an alternative to Bitcoin (BTC), addressing issues like energy-intensive mining and scalability. 

“While McCaleb went on to launch Stellar and Schwartz became Ripple’s CTO, Britto remained in the background — an unseen architect. He is known as the quiet force behind the XRP Ledger,” a user wrote.

Britto has remained largely out of the public eye despite his significant contributions. He has never given interviews, appeared in photographs, or participated in public forums, making him one of the most mysterious figures in crypto, akin to the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. Some even believe that Britto could be Satoshi.

“So private that he’s one of my dark horse candidates for being Satoshi,” a Reddit user stated.

Moreover, the secrecy has even ignited rumors questioning his existence, with some suggesting he may not be a real person. However, it seems highly unlikely that Britto is a false identity. David Schwartz has mentioned Britto multiple times. 

No. He is a separate and distinct human being in his own right. But he is intensely private. I'll gladly take credit for his ideas though — he doesn't mind.

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) November 27, 2024

In fact, a document between Chris Larsen, McCaleb, and Britto was making rounds on crypto Twitter in early June. The document also legitimizes his identity.

“Signed on Sept 17, 2012, this agreement between Chris Larsen, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto confirms that Britto received 2% of ALL XRP (then called “Ripple Credits”) and more importantly, it gave him lifetime rights to build on the Ripple protocol, without needing permission,” the post read.

In the comments, Schwartz confirmed he was still in contact with Britto. Still, given Britto’s long-standing silence and the mystery surrounding his public absence, his recent post stirred the XRP community.