Ripple Scores Major Win as SEC Agrees to Return $75M from XRP Fine

Ripple Labs appears to be nearing the end of its years-long legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), emerging with a significant victory. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, announced via X that the SEC will return $75 million of the $125 million fine Ripple paid last year. The SEC will retain just $50 million, pending approval from both the court and SEC commissioners.

This development follows the SEC's decision to withdraw its appeal against a 2023 ruling by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. The judge concluded that Ripple’s programmatic sales of XRP to retail investors did not violate securities laws, although institutional sales did. While Ripple was fined $125 million, the amount was significantly lower than the nearly $2 billion in penalties the SEC originally sought.

As part of the proposed settlement, Ripple has agreed to drop its cross-appeal, and the SEC intends to ask the court to lift the standing injunction against the company. If approved, this resolution could mark the final chapter in a legal saga that has shaped the regulatory landscape for crypto in the U.S.

Following the news, XRP briefly surged 1.5% before settling at around $2.47. The token remains down 0.5% over the past 24 hours, mirroring the broader crypto market and CoinDesk 20 Index.

This potential settlement is seen as a major precedent for future crypto regulations and reinforces Ripple’s position in the market. The SEC has yet to issue an official comment on the agreement.