SEC and Ripple End Years-Long XRP Legal Battle

The prolonged legal dispute between the U.S. SEC and Ripple Labs has finally drawn to a close after both parties jointly moved to dismiss their respective appeals. The Second Circuit Appeals Court, in a brief filing on Thursday, acknowledged the dismissal and confirmed that each side would bear its own legal costs and fees. Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, confirmed the news on X, stating , “Following the Commission’s vote today, the SEC and Ripple formally filed directly with the Second Circuit to dismiss their appeals. The end… and now back to business.” The SEC first sued Ripple in December 2020, accusing the company of selling XRP as an unregistered security. The case took a significant turn in July 2023 when U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres delivered a mixed ruling. She determined that XRP sales on public exchanges did not qualify as securities, but sales to institutional investors did. Judge Torres’ Ruling Now Stands Final With both appeals dropped, Judge Torres’ 2023 decision is now final. Ripple was ordered to pay $125 million in fines to the SEC—significantly lower than the $2 billion initially sought by the regulator. The agency appealed this ruling in October 2023, prompting Ripple to file a cross-appeal soon after. Despite the regulator’s push, settlement discussions began earlier this year . In April, the SEC and Ripple filed a joint motion to pause the appeals, signaling a willingness to end the matter. A tentative settlement was reached in May, but Judge Torres denied Ripple’s request in June to lower the fine and dissolve an injunction, emphasizing the company’s obligation to comply with federal securities laws. SEC Retreats The SEC’s decision to drop the appeal was not entirely unexpected. Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, the regulator has scaled back its enforcement against crypto companies, abandoning several lawsuits. The Ripple case—initiated during Trump’s first term—was among the most closely watched legal battles in the industry. For XRP holders, the end of the case has provided a bullish tailwind. Since hitting a low of $1.79 on April 9, 2025, XRP surged nearly 99% to $3.56 on July 22, according to CoinMarketCap. While the token briefly dipped below $3, it has since rebounded, climbing 11.5% over the past day to trade at $3.34. The post SEC and Ripple End Years-Long XRP Legal Battle appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .