Ripple, SEC End XRP Case; Penalty Pending

Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have agreed to mutually drop their appeals, ending their protracted legal dispute over XRP. Judge Analisa Torres reaffirmed her rejection of a joint proposal to dissolve a permanent injunction and notably declined to reduce Ripple's civil penalty, stressing regulatory compliance and public interest. The court continues to hold that Ripple's institutional sales of XRP violated securities laws, but secondary market sales do not constitute securities offerings. Despite the legal closure, market reaction has been modest, with XRP seeing only slight gains. Analysts report that XRP's key support levels remain intact, leaving room for future rallies if resistance is surpassed. Ripple remains prohibited from institutional sales of XRP and is subject to a penalty that has yet to be finalized.