SEC and Ripple agree to pause legal battle, marking a new chapter in their long-running feud over XRP token sales.
On April 10, Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a joint motion to put their ongoing appeals on hold – and the court approved it. This comes just weeks after the two sides reached a settlement that significantly reduced Ripple’s penalty in the high-profile securities case.
The legal saga started back in December 2020 when the SEC sued Ripple for allegedly selling $1.3 billion worth of XRP tokens as unregistered securities. The lawsuit quickly became one of the most closely watched cases in crypto history. Things got especially interesting in July 2023 when U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres made a key ruling. She said Ripple’s sale of XRP to institutional investors did break securities laws – but the sale of XRP on public exchanges didn’t. That split decision gave both sides something to argue over, and they each filed appeals.
Fast forward to early 2025, and the landscape started to shift again. With Donald Trump back in the White House, regulatory attitudes around crypto began changing. On March 25, Ripple and the SEC announced a major settlement. Ripple agreed to pay $50 million of the original $125 million penalty, and the rest was refunded from escrow. That surprise move signaled that both sides might be looking to wrap things up and move on.
Now, with this new joint motion, it’s clear that neither party wants to drag this thing out. The motion covers everything – the SEC’s appeal, Ripple’s cross-appeal, and even claims involving Ripple execs Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen. The court granted the request and gave the SEC 60 days to file a status update, which gives both sides time to reassess and possibly avoid another lengthy legal battle.
What’s interesting is how this pause might signal a cooling-off period. Instead of ramping up for a full-blown court fight, Ripple and the SEC seem to be leaning into compromise. Maybe that’s because of shifting politics, or maybe it’s just lawsuit fatigue after four years of legal drama. Either way, this could set a precedent for how other crypto cases are handled going forward.
If you’re holding XRP or following the case closely, this is a big deal. The SEC and Ripple agreeing to pause legal battle shows that even the most bitter disputes can find middle ground – especially when the stakes are high and the pressure is on. The case isn’t over just yet, but for now, both sides are stepping back and giving the process some breathing room.
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