Ripple Ends 4-Year Legal Battle with SEC—Drops Appeal, XRP Lawsuit Officially Over

Ripple just slammed the door on its marathon courtroom drama with the SEC—no appeals, no do-overs. After nearly four years of legal trench warfare, the blockchain giant is walking away with a settlement that’ll send XRP hodlers popping champagne.

The Backstory:
Remember 2020? The SEC dropped the hammer on Ripple, alleging XRP was an unregistered security. Cue the market panic, exchange delistings, and enough legal bills to bankrupt a small nation.

Why It Matters:
This isn’t just a win for Ripple—it’s a precedent. The SEC’s ‘regulation by lawsuit’ playbook just hit a wall. Meanwhile, crypto lawyers are already billing clients for ‘how to avoid becoming the next target’ PowerPoints.

The Ironic Twist:
The same week Wall Street banks get slapped with wrist-slap fines for actual fraud, the SEC spends four years and taxpayer millions chasing a token that’s… still trading. Classic.

One thing’s clear—when the regulators come knocking, better have a war chest deeper than a Bitcoin bear market.

Is the XRP Lawsuit Finally Over?

The Ripple v SEC case has been a huge event for crypto regulation, but the spectacle didn’t end after the case was dropped. Both parties have spent the last few months trying to resolve one lingering issue: a cross-appeal regarding non-institutional securities sales.

Today, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that the company is finally giving up.

Ripple is dropping our cross appeal, and the SEC is expected to drop their appeal, as they’ve previously said. We’re closing this chapter once and for all, and focusing on what’s most important – building the Internet of Value. Lock in. https://t.co/ZsRgDfcpLh

This decision follows Judge Torres’ June 26 ruling, which denied the parties’ attempt to modify the injunction and reduce Ripple’s penalty. That rejection blocked the path to a negotiated resolution.

By dropping the appeal, Ripple accepts the court’s existing judgment. This includes the restriction on institutional XRP sales and the likely imposition of a $102.6 million penalty.

No further court dates are expected, and the case will conclude once the SEC formally withdraws its own appeal. That step is anticipated in the coming weeks.

The 2023 ruling, which found XRP sales on exchanges are not securities, remains intact. That provides continued clarity for retail XRP trading.

The case, which began in December 2020, has become a key precedent in crypto regulation. Its conclusion closes a chapter in US digital asset enforcement.