David Schwartz Explains Why He'd Rather HODL XRP or BTC Than Watch USD Gather Dust in Escrow

Ripple CTO emeritus David Schwartz just made a case that should have stablecoin issuers clutching their pegs tighter than a HODLer on a red day.

On April 2, the XRP evangelist took to X to lay out exactly why he'd pick crypto over fiat when locking up funds. His argument? Three words: upside, control, and global utility. Basically, why watch your money sleep when it could be doing pullups?

First up: stablecoins are stuck to one fiat currency. That's great if you only need dollars—but for cross-border payments spanning multiple jurisdictions, good luck finding the perfect match. One stablecoin can't be everything to everyone everywhere. It's like showing up to a potluck with only a fork and expecting to eat soup.

Second: issuers can freeze your funds. Courts can order clawbacks. Regulatory pressure can cut off access. When you hold a stablecoin, you're one legal order away from your money becoming very illiquid. Decentralized cryptos don't play that game. Your coins don't care about your feelings or the SEC's latest mood swing.

Third—and this is the kicker—Schwartz thinks crypto's upside beats stablecoin stability most of the time. His words: "For most cryptocurrencies most of the time, the upside is worth more than the downside." That's not financial advice, but it's definitely a mood.

He put it simply: "If I had to lock up some money in an escrow for a year, I might well prefer $XRP or $BTC to USD because I know USD isn't going up." Fair point. Stablecoins have their place—when volatility is a problem or when regulated counterparties add value. But when you're looking at long-term arrangements where growth matters more than stability? Schwartz is going crypto. And honestly, can't argue with someone who'd rather moon than stay flat.