The ongoing legal skirmish between Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken an unexpected turn, as Judge Analisa Torres recently dismissed the joint request for an indicative ruling. This development signals that a conclusion to their legal battle remains elusive, despite both parties showing interest in wrapping up the case.
Ripple and SEC Encounter Challenges
In March 2025, a tentative agreement was forged where Ripple consented to a reduced penalty of $50 million, significantly less than the proposed $125 million. This settlement had initially given hope for a swift resolution.
However, the SEC’s decision to discontinue its appeal does not mean the end of the matter. Judge Torres stressed in her ruling that specific legal protocols must still be followed, including obtaining necessary court sanctions.
In her commentary, Judge Torres made it clear that private settlements cannot overshadow public legal conclusions. She remarked, “The parties do not have the authority to agree not to be bound by a court’s final judgment… They have not come close to doing so here.” This reinforces the principle that judicial decisions must align with the collective public interest and adhere to established legal frameworks.
As noted by FOX journalist Eleanor Terret, Judge Torres outlined two viable pathways for Ripple and the SEC should they wish to extricate themselves from ongoing litigation: they may either annul their appeals to let the ruling stand or advance through the appellate framework to contest it.
XRP Price Reaction
The price of XRP reacted negatively following the judge’s decision, sliding down to approximately $2.14 at the time of this report, marking a 4% decrease over the preceding 24 hours. This movement reflects broader market sensitivities concerning legal uncertainties surrounding the cryptocurrency.
In the prior month, XRP witnessed a 9% depreciation in value. Nonetheless, despite these fluctuations, it has posted an impressive surge of nearly 350% year-to-date, surpassing the performance of other major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC).
Image courtesy of DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com.
