Is David Schwartz Satoshi Nakamoto? Ripple CEO's new comments spark debate.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has fueled speculation that David Schwartz is the true identity of anonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
In a recent podcast, Garlinghouse claimed that some of the developers who created the XRP Ledger (XRP’s underlying blockchain) were also early engineers on the Bitcoin network.
According to Garlinghouse, these developers are trying to build a better digital asset that solves some of the problems that exist in Bitcoin, including scalability and high energy consumption.
Crypto enthusiasts react
Garlinghouse’s comments sparked speculation within the cryptocurrency community, with some members suggesting that Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz could be the anonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
Top cryptocurrency enthusiasts, including Good Morning Crypto podcast host Abdullah “Abs” Nassif, have also fueled the speculation.
Why Crypto Enthusiasts Believe Schwartz Is Satoshi Nakamoto
In addition, well-known XRP community member wEeZiE (@NerdNationUnbox) also mentioned an earlier X article in 2022 in which they made similar claims.
In this X article, wEeZiE asked whether Schwartz was one of the four Satoshis who created Bitcoin. The XRP enthusiast shared some of the events that sparked the inquiry.
According to wEeZiE, the development of XRP began in May 2011, less than a month after Satoshi Nakamoto published their last message.
In addition, wEeZiE also stated that Satoshi Nakamoto sent an email to Mike Hearn on April 23, 2011, revealing plans to turn to other things. wEeZiE attached a screenshot of a Forbes article showing that Schwartz also revealed in early 2011 that he was looking for something new, which later led to the creation of the XRP Ledger. It is worth mentioning that XRP Ledger was created by Schwartz, Arthur Britto, and Jed McCaleb.
According to the article, Schwartz, who expressed concerns about the centralized control of the currency, purchased several Bitcoins in the early days of the asset.
Like Bitcoin’s creator, wEeZiE shared a short video showing Schwartz also uses a pseudonym “Joel Katz.” Additionally, the XRP community member noted that Satoshi Nakamoto shared a pre-release version of the Bitcoin code on November 16, 2009, which coincides with Schwartz’s birthday.
Schwartz says he is likely Satoshi Nakamoto
As of now, there is no definitive news on the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator or whether Schwartz is Satoshi Nakamoto.
Prominent figures including Australian computer scientist Craig Wright have claimed the identity. However, the Federal High Court rejected Wright's claims earlier this year.
Despite the court’s ruling, some members of the Bitcoin community still believe that Wright is likely Satoshi Nakamoto. In response to this statement, Schwartz said that he is more likely to be Satoshi Nakamoto than Wright.
As previously reported, Satoshi Nakamoto described Ripple as being interested in building a trusted payment system.
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