Ripple’s Bold Move: Dropping SEC Appeal, $50M Fine Inside

Ripple and SEC Reach Agreement to End Legal Battle

Ripple has decided to drop it’s appeal against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This move comes shortly after the SEC dropped its case against Ripple, the creator of XRP.

Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s chief legal officer, announced the news on X. Both parties have agreed to withdraw their appeals and settle on a reduced fine. The original $125 million penalty has been cut to $50 million.

Alderoty stated, “This should be my last update on SEC v Ripple.” The SEC will retain $50 million of the fine, which is already in an interest-bearing escrow in cash. The remaining amount will be returned to Ripple.

The SEC will also request Judge Analisa Torres to lift the standard “obey the law” injunction on Ripple. However, these agreements are still pending a vote by the Commission and other court procedures.

This development comes as the SEC takes a new direction under interim chair Mark Uyeda. The regulator has dropped investigations and closed several high-profile lawsuits, including those against crypto exchanges Coinbase and Kraken.

Under Uyeda, the SEC has adopted a more pro-innovation stance, moving away from the regulation-by-enforcement approach seen during Gary Gensler’s tenure. The Crypto Task Force, now led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, has held roundtable meetings.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick for new SEC Chair, Paul Atkins, is expected to take over in the coming weeks.