In an unexpected twist in the world of tech and rock, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, recently opened up about a rather cheeky chapter from his career. He confessed to orchestrating a faked fan Q&A session with none other than rock legend Ozzy Osbourne and his iconic band, Black Sabbath. This revelation not only has fans buzzing but also highlights some curious intersections between technology, celebrity culture, and the burgeoning cryptocurrency landscape.
So, what prompted Schwartz to acknowledge this playful deceit? He shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), where he revealed that he had crafted this Q&A under a veil of nostalgia while recalling his time at WebMaster—a company he once worked for. As he detailed, the event was intended to be an authentic interaction between the fans and the legendary rockers, but things didn’t exactly unfold as envisioned.
Schwartz was assigned the task of moderating questions during a live session using the firm’s outdated ConferenceRoom software. However, the reality was that enthusiastic fans were more fixated on Ozzy, ignoring the other band members entirely. “I specifically asked the moderators to give me questions that weren’t for Ozzy. There just weren’t any,” he lamented. Faced with this challenge, Schwartz resorted to a clever workaround—passing pre-prepared questions to the other band members to ensure they weren’t entirely sidelined.
“I passed a canned question to each of the other band members in rotation. And I mixed what I could make out of their responses with the prepared answers I received from their manager,” Schwartz explained. This clever tactic, however, left him feeling disillusioned as he reflected on the lack of genuine fan interaction. “At the time, I felt really bad about the whole thing. It wasn’t the authentic engagement I wanted it to be,” he admitted, noting that only a scant few genuine fan questions were ever relayed to the band.
As if the situation wasn’t amusing enough, Schwartz also had to contend with Ozzy’s infamous penchant for colorful language. He mentioned that he had to sanitize Osbourne’s responses, notably censoring some particularly expressive words that might not sit well with a broader audience. “Ozzy’s answer featured the C-word a lot—the one that Americans really don’t like to say,” he recalled with a chuckle. Balancing fidelity to the rock legend’s raw voice with the need for decorum certainly required a steady hand!
I typed up Ozzy’s answer as closely as I could, probably getting it way off due to the poor connection quality. I censored the C-words.And then I cheated. I passed a canned question to each of the other band members in rotation. And I mixed what I could make out of what they…— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 24, 2025
This revelation comes as Ozzy Osbourne’s passing at the age of 76 has been met with an outpouring of tributes from across the globe. Interestingly, this surge of nostalgia has had an unexpected consequence on the crypto landscape. In the days following his death, meme-themed cryptocurrencies like The Mad Man (OZZY) soared dramatically, with some reporting a staggering increase of over 16,800%. The token reached a trading volume of $0.003851 and a market cap of $3.85 million—an astonishing spike that highlights the volatile nature of crypto in response to current events.
Beyond the rock and roll anecdotes, Schwartz’s career in cryptocurrency continues to be of significant interest, especially in light of Ripple’s recent developments. Just last month, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced plans to withdraw their cross-appeal against the SEC, signaling a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal saga surrounding XRP. This decision, made in conjunction with movements from the SEC, indicates a potential thaw in their long-standing conflict, as a US district court had previously denied their joint request to mitigate Ripple’s substantial $125 million civil penalty.
In explosive trading news, XRP experienced an upswing in notional open interest for its perpetual futures contracts, hitting an all-time high of $8.8 billion. This significant increase aligns with XRP’s robust market activity and reflects a burgeoning confidence among traders, with nearly 2.9 billion XRP positions held open. A previous record of $8.3 billion was set earlier this year, underscoring the excitement surrounding this digital asset.
As the lines between rock stardom and cryptocurrency continue to blur, it remains to be seen how these narratives will evolve. From Schwartz’s whimsical recount of a rock history moment gone awry to the cryptocurrency community’s enthusiastic response to tragedies, everything seems interconnected in today’s digital age. If Ozzy’s legacy continues to command such attention—even in the realm of meme coins—who knows what the future has in store for both his fans and the digital currency landscape? Are we witnessing the dawn of a unique crossover between fandom and finance?
Stay tuned as we keep an eye on these fascinating developments in the world of cryptocurrency and pop culture. Engaging with both realms might just lead you to unexpected rewards!
