On May 11, the XRP Ledger Foundation announced on X that Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz joined as an honorary board member. Schwartz, a co-creator of the XRP Ledger, will provide technical guidance as the foundation expands its operational and engineering leadership team.
Foundation Formalizes Schwartz's Honorary Role
The foundation stated: "As one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, David brings deep technical insight and a long-term perspective that will help strengthen the foundation's technical stewardship of the ecosystem." Schwartz's honorary board position adds a technical advisory layer alongside the team handling day-to-day foundation work.
Leadership Structure: Executive Director, CTO, Operations, Community
In a separate post on May 8, the foundation introduced its broader leadership: Brett Mollin as executive director, Denis Angell as chief technology officer, Rene Huijsen as director of operations, and Hussein ���Vet” Zangana as director of community. Mollin sets strategy with the board; Angell leads engineering work tied to amendments, standards, and production contributions. Huijsen, who previously worked in payments operations at Ripple and participated in a Bank for International Settlements cross-border payments taskforce, handles financial coordination and operations. Zangana oversees communications, validator and developer engagement, ecosystem storytelling, events, and content.
Separation of Engineering and Community Duties
The foundation is dividing engineering and community responsibilities into defined roles as it outlines its next phase. Angell moved from XRPL Labs to guide technical direction, while Zangana will serve as a liaison for builders, validators, and other ecosystem participants. The foundation remarked: "The power of the XRP community has always been its many layers rallying together behind a shared vision, and that's what we're here to strengthen and deliver on." Together, the May 8 and May 11 posts show the foundation pairing a formal staff structure with Schwartz's honorary board appointment, with the stated mission of supporting the XRP Ledger and its contributors.