Chair

Gary

Fine

Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have reached a tentative deal that could officially end one of crypto’s most high-profile legal battles. As part of the agreement, the SEC will return $75 million of the $125 million fine Ripple paid last year — keeping just $50 million to settle the case. 
Ripple’s chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty shared the news on X Tuesday, calling the move a long-awaited resolution. The deal still needs final sign-off from the SEC’s commissioners and court approval. 
The settlement comes shortly after the SEC dropped its planned appeal of a 2023 ruling by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. In that decision, Torres found that <a href="https://financefeeds.com/tether-ceo-clashes-with-ripples-brad-garlinghouse-over-us-regulatory-comments/">Ripple’s XRP sales</a> to retail investors through exchanges didn’t break securities laws — a partial win for Ripple. However, she ruled that some institutional sales did cross the line, resulting in the $125 million penalty. 
The SEC had originally sought nearly $2 billion in civil penalties, disgorgement, and interest, but the court landed on a much lower figure. Now, Ripple could walk away with a refund covering 60% of that fine. 
Ripple, for its part, agreed to withdraw its own planned appeal in response. Alderoty also said the SEC will ask the court to lift a standard injunction that restricted Ripple’s operations. 
XRP briefly rose about 1.5% after the announcement, hitting $2.47 before pulling back. It remains down slightly over the past 24 hours, mirroring broader market trends. 
The legal battle originally stemmed from a December 2020 lawsuit alleging Ripple used XRP as an unregistered security to raise funds. In August 2024, a federal court ruled partially in favor of Ripple, finding the company liable for $125 million but rejecting the SEC’s claim that&nbsp;<a href="https://financefeeds.com/major-crypto-exchanges-to-list-ripples-rlusd-stablecoin-imminently/">XRP</a>&nbsp;inherently qualifies as a security. Ripple’s appeal does not challenge this aspect of the decision. 
The commission ramped up actions under former Chair <a href="https://financefeeds.com/gemini-to-boycott-mit-graduates-over-gary-genslers-teaching-role/">Gary Gensler</a> but has since backed off cases under Acting Chair <a href="https://financefeeds.com/ripple-coinbase-case-prosecutor-reassigned-to-non-legal-role/">Mark Uyeda</a>. Since January, the SEC dropped multiple lawsuits against Coinbase, Consensys, Kraken, and other crypto firms, fueling speculation about whether political donations played a role.

Ripple Gets $75M Back as Part of SEC Settlement on $125M Fine

FinanceFeeds

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