XRP Community Revolts: How a ’Genius’ Who Blocked Ripple’s CTO Sparked a Crypto Uprising

It started with a block—and ended with a backlash. The XRP community, known for its fierce loyalty, turned its collective fire on a self-proclaimed expert who made the fateful decision to mute Ripple's Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz. The move wasn't just a personal snub; it was seen as an attack on one of the project's foundational voices.

The Anatomy of a Backlash

This wasn't about a simple difference of opinion. The individual in question had built a reputation on bold predictions and tech-savvy commentary, positioning themselves as a visionary within the space. But blocking Schwartz—a figure synonymous with XRP's technical DNA—crossed an invisible line. The community's response was swift and merciless, unfolding across social platforms where reputations in crypto are made and broken in real-time.

Credibility on the Blockchain Chopping Block

The fallout was a masterclass in decentralized reputation management. Followers evaporated. Past analyses were dredged up and picked apart. The episode highlighted a core tenet of crypto communities: access and transparency are currencies. Cutting off a primary source of technical truth is seen as a cardinal sin—worse than a bearish take, it's an act of informational gatekeeping. It’s the kind of move that makes traditional finance suits blush; on Wall Street, you'd just issue a misleading press release and collect your bonus.

A Lesson in Crypto-Tribal Politics

The schism reveals the tightrope influencers walk. In a sector built on challenging authority, certain authorities remain unchallengeable. The community's verdict was clear: genius isn't self-appointed. It's conferred by the crowd, and the crowd can take it away faster than a flash crash. The whole drama underscores that in the world of digital assets, your network is your net worth, and alienating key nodes has a real, tangible cost.

The XRP community has always been highly active and protective of its ecosystem. That became clear again after a recent controversy involving a self-proclaimed “world’s highest IQ holder” and a crypto token launch that claimed to support XRP.

What began as bold claims and attention-grabbing posts quickly turned into skepticism, backlash, and public warnings from long-time XRP supporters. At the center of the issue was YoungHoon Kim, who claimed to have an IQ of 276 and used that claim while promoting a new crypto token linked to the XRP Ledger.

The controversy escalated after Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz publicly questioned Kim’s credentials. Schwartz stated that the so-called certifications came from organizations that appeared to be created by Kim himself and designed to sound similar to legitimate record bodies.

To be precise, he blocked me after this:https://t.co/fZtB26z6x8

Schwartz also made a clear point that an IQ score of 276 is not scientifically possible. Shortly after this exchange, Schwartz was blocked by Kim, a MOVE that immediately drew attention across the XRP community.

For many XRP holders, blocking one of the most respected technical leaders in the ecosystem raised serious concerns.

Around the same time, Kim announced the launch of a token, claiming it was created to support XRP and bring real utility to the XRP Ledger. He described a two-chain structure where one token WOULD focus on community growth on Solana, while another XRPL-linked token would supposedly power DAO-related activity.

His messaging repeatedly used phrases like “supporting XRP” and “real utility on the XRP Ledger,” which many community members felt was misleading. Critics argued that XRP itself does not need unofficial tokens promoted under questionable claims to prove its value.

As scrutiny increased, many XRP supporters began warning others to stay safe. Some community members openly accused Kim of using the XRP brand and its loyal following to build HYPE around a personal token project.

After days of growing criticism, Kim later posted a public apology. He confirmed that he had unblocked David Schwartz and apologized both to Schwartz and to the XRP community.

In his statement, he admitted fault, offered no excuses, and said he would be more careful and respectful going forward.

Unblocked.

I sincerely apologize, @JoelKatz.

I also apologize to my #XRP friends.

No excuses. I will be more careful

and respectful moving forward.

– YoungHoon Kim

While some community members welcomed the apology, others remained skeptical, noting that damage to trust in crypto often happens quickly and is difficult to reverse.