A unique NFT was recently created on the XRP Ledger by an artist known as Dale Forward. The digital artwork, listed on XRP Café, depicts what it feels like to pet a dog. As the artist himself describes: “It’s as if love radiates to you and the dog.”
While the piece itself is sound, what drew more attention was the speed at which this 1/1 item sold – and ultimately who bought it.
Thanks to the reach of social networks, David Schwartz, one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger and Ripple CTO, announced less than two hours later that he had acquired the NFT, called Pats.
Made this 1/1 on @xrpcafe about what it feels like to pet a dog. As if love radiates to you and the dog. pic.twitter.com/4GLKkVLSfj
— Dale (@dfart2287) October 10, 2025
Schwartz is no stranger to the digital art space, particularly the XRPL ecosystem. The address believed to be his – rHzWtXTBrArrGoLDixQAgcSD2dBisM19fF – currently lists 146 NFTs from 117 collections, worth 64,265 XRP, or approximately $190,000 at current rates.
His wallet history often shows bids for niche series that never received much attention, but still represent the early stages of XRPL art culture.
Termination of the 14-month collection break
Regarding this latest purchase, Schwartz bought Pats for 30 XRP, about $90 at the time, although its value is likely much higher now as part of the Ripple CTO collection.
Notably, this is his first XRP NFT purchase since August 2023, when he purchased Space Mermaid #335 for 120 XRP. It’s funny that despite being more expensive in XRP, the dollar value of that previous purchase was only $72.
Who knows? Perhaps Schwartz’s interest in NFTs is yet another signal that this once-thriving segment of crypto is on the verge of a revival. Or maybe it was just a temporary attempt to support a fellow XRP enthusiast.