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Ripple News: Full SEC Lawsuit Timeline and XRP ETF Outlook
The legal battle between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple has finally come to an end. The settlement, which included a $125 million fine, will undoubtedly have significant repercussions for the cryptocurrency market in general and XRP specifically. A more favorable regulatory environment and renewed confidence from institutional investors should propel XRP to new heights.
Ripple vs SEC Timeline
December 22, 2020: The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Ripple Labs along with its CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. The complaint accused the company of selling $1.3 billion worth of XRP tokens without registering them as securities.
Early 2021: Ripple countered with a motion to dismiss, challenging the SEC’s statements, arguing that XRP is a currency and not a security.
June 2022: The court granted the SEC’s motion to extend the discovery deadline, allowing more time for the SEC to produce internal documents.
April 11, 2022: The presiding judge ruled that the SEC should not withhold Hinman documents, which could provide crucial insights into the SEC’s views on Bitcoin and Ethereum.
September 29, 2022: The US District Court ordered the SEC to hand over Hinman documents. This included internal SEC communications such as emails and drafts surrounding a 2018 speech by then-Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, William Hinman.
July 2023: Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Ripple’s institutional sales of XRP on public exchanges did not violate securities laws. However, she found that institutional sales totaling $728 million in sales disobeyed rules.
2024: The trial phase took place, focusing on testimony, financial documents, and remedies.
March 2025: Both the SEC and Ripple dropped their respective appeals of Judge Torres’s 2023 ruling, effectively concluding the case.
May 2025: Both parties agreed to a settlement and sought to reduce the $125 million penalty against Ripple. However, the judge rejected this proposal, emphasizing that Ripple must continue to abide by securities laws despite the SEC’s shift in focus.
August 7, 2025: Ripple finally agrees to pay $125 million fine to the SEC as part of an agreement that ended the long-running legal battle.
Source: coinpedia.org
