XRP Soars 13% as Ripple and SEC Officially End Legal Feud

In a major turning point for the cryptocurrency industry, Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have officially ended their five-year legal dispute, sending XRP soaring by 13% to $3.36.

This joint decision to dismiss all appeals has not only boosted investor sentiment but also marks a crucial legal victory for Ripple, and potentially for the wider crypto industry.

Legal Closure After Five Years of Uncertainty

The conflict began in December 2020, when the SEC sued Ripple and its executives, alleging they had conducted an unregistered securities offering through the sale of XRP. What followed was one of the most high-profile legal sagas in crypto history, dragging through U.S. courts and raising pivotal questions about how digital assets should be regulated.

A significant development came in 2023 when U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP sold on public exchanges did not qualify as securities, though institutional sales did. Ripple was fined $125 million, far less than the SEC’s initial demand of $2 billion. Despite this partial win, both parties filed appeals to challenge the ruling.

Now, with a joint court filing on August 7, Ripple and the SEC have agreed to drop their respective appeals, bringing official closure to the case. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty declared on X, “The end… and now back to business.”

XRP Price Reacts and ETF Speculation Builds

XRP’s price surged as news broke, climbing over 13% in 24 hours to $3.36, just shy of its all-time high of $3.65 set on July 18. With legal clarity restored, analysts believe XRP could rally further, especially as speculation intensifies around a possible XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Industry voices, including Nate Geraci of ETFStore, suggest that asset management giant BlackRock might soon file for an iShares XRP ETF. Other major firms like Grayscale, Bitwise, and WisdomTree have already submitted ETF applications, signaling growing institutional confidence in the asset.

According to Polymarket, there is now an 87% chance that an XRP ETF will be approved by December 2025, a jump from earlier projections.

Ripple Looks Ahead to Global Growth

With legal battles behind it, Ripple is poised to accelerate its expansion strategy. The firm recently announced a $200 million acquisition of Canadian fintech Rail, aiming to enhance its global payments infrastructure.

Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) network and its planned USD-backed stablecoin RLUSD are expected to benefit from renewed focus and broader market acceptance.

This victory not only removes a cloud hanging over XRP but may also set a precedent for how future crypto regulations are handled in the U.S. As Ripple returns to business with legal clarity, the crypto market watches closely for the next chapter, possibly written on Wall Street through ETF listings and global adoption.