XRP News Today: Ripple Fined $125 Million as Judge Denies Settlement Request

A federal judge in Manhattan has denied a joint request by Ripple and the SEC to revise their earlier settlement agreement, which aimed to reduce Ripple’s $125 million fine to $50 million and drop the permanent injunction against future violations. The court’s refusal to ease the judgment terms keeps Ripple’s legal battle active and unresolved for now. The ruling also leaves Ripple’s existing permanent injunction intact, denying efforts to erase the previous violation. This development complicates a case that has already drawn wide attention in the crypto industry.

Ripple now faces a critical decision on whether to drop its appeal or continue contesting the court’s prior ruling. The case centers on Ripple’s sale of XRP to institutional investors, which the court previously ruled violated securities law. However, the judge had earlier found that XRP sold to the general public through exchanges did not meet that definition. Both the SEC and Ripple initially filed appeals, though they later agreed to settle under the condition that the court ease its earlier judgment. The latest ruling denies that request.

Judge Torres clarified that her injunction was intended to prevent further violations and cannot be waived without strong legal justification. Despite the setback, the decision does not alter XRP’s classification in secondary markets. The court’s earlier finding still holds that XRP itself is not a security when traded by retail investors. As a result, XRP’s market activity and general usage remain unchanged. The ongoing legal uncertainty may continue to influence Ripple’s operations and broader crypto industry oversight. However, retail investors can still trade XRP without regulatory concern under the current ruling.

Following the ruling, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, addressed the decision publicly. In a social media post, he confirmed that the company is weighing two options: dismissing its appeal or continuing the challenge related to past institutional XRP sales. He added that XRP’s legal status for public sales remains unchanged. Alderoty described the ruling as putting the next step back in Ripple’s hands, without suggesting which path the company will take.