Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz recently posted a joke about his college years, and the XRP community took it as a signal.
Schwartz replied to a user on X with a line about his college days. “My standard pickup line in college was, ‘I’m studying electrical engineering. Can I remove your shorts?’ It never worked.” The electrical engineering pun on “shorts” immediately triggered XRP holders.
Crypto commentator ILLY (@Illyriannft) quoted the post with a sharp message to traders. “Remove your shorts on XRP,” he wrote, adding a warning. He connected Schwartz’s joke to the current market positioning around XRP and told traders they had been warned.
Remove your shorts on XRP
YOU BEEN WARNED ⚠️ !!! https://t.co/cJIYY49eT6— ILLY (@Illyriannft) September 28, 2026
Schwartz’s Joke
In electrical engineering, a “short” refers to a short circuit. In financial markets, it bets against an asset’s price rally. Schwartz’s pickup line bridged both meanings. This isn’t the first time the community has interpreted a joke about shorts similarly, and they zeroed in on the financial interpretation almost instantly.
XRP Short Positions in Focus
The attention to shorts is in context. Data from Hyperliquid in August showed that 16 of the top 20 XRP traders by position size held short positions. Most entered between $1.22 and $1.52, using 20x cross margin leverage.
XRP had already surged over 50% in under three days before that data was published, leaving many of those traders sitting on unrealized losses. ILLY’s post lands in that environment. His message targets traders who remain short on XRP and treats Schwartz’s post as a timely prompt to reconsider.
The XRP Army’s Response
Responses to the post were largely optimistic. One user said the “only up season” was arriving sooner rather than later. Another confirmed a $220 target for XRP based on Schwartz’s statement. A third compared it to a December silver market event, noting that a bank shorting silver got liquidated after the price moved sharply in a short window.
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However, one user entirely disagreed with the sentiment. The range of responses shows the community is split. Bullish traders see Schwartz’s post as confirmation, but skeptics are unconvinced.
Schwartz’s Influence On the XRP Market
Schwartz stepped down as Ripple’s CTO earlier this year. His posts still carry significant weight in the XRP community. Even an offhand joke generates analysis, debate, and in some cases, trading decisions. Whether the joke leads to any meaningful action in the XRP market remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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