A Unique NFT by Dale Forward

A one-of-one NFT was recently created on the XRP Ledger by artist Dale Forward. Listed on XRP Café, the digital artwork depicts the experience of petting a dog. As the artist describes it, “It’s like love is coming out into you and the dog.“

While the piece is heartwarming in its own right, attention grew due to how swiftly this unique item was sold — and who ended up buying it.

Thanks to social media, less than two hours later, David Schwartz, one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger and the Chief Technology Officer of Ripple, announced he had acquired the NFT, titled Pats.

> Made this 1/1 on @xrpcafe about how it feels to give a dog pats. Like love is coming out into you and the dog.
> — Dale (@dfart2287) October 10, 2025

Schwartz is familiar with the digital art realm, especially within the XRPL ecosystem. The wallet believed to belong to him — rHzWtXTBrArrGoLDixQAgcSD2dBisM19fF — currently holds 146 NFTs from 117 collections, valued at 64,265 XRP, or approximately $190,000 at current rates.

His wallet history often shows bids on niche series that, while not widely popular, signify the early stages of XRPL art culture.

Ending a 14-Month Collecting Pause

Regarding this latest purchase, Schwartz bought Pats for 30 XRP, about $90 at the time, although its value has likely increased as part of Ripple’s CTO’s collection.

Interestingly, this marks his first XRP NFT acquisition since August 2023 when he purchased Space Mermaid #335 for 120 XRP. Amusingly, despite being more expensive in XRP, the value of that previous purchase was only $72.

Who knows? Perhaps Schwartz’s renewed interest in NFTs signals a potential revival for this once-thriving segment of crypto. Or maybe it was just a fleeting effort to support a fellow XRP enthusiast.