XRP News Today: Ripple Settles SEC Lawsuit Paying $125 Million XRP Surges 4.3%

Ripple has officially concluded its four-year legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by agreeing to pay a $125 million fine and dropping all ongoing appeals. The SEC is also expected to withdraw its own appeal, marking the end of one of the most high-profile lawsuits in crypto history. This resolution has cleared the legal uncertainty surrounding XRP, leading to a surge in bullish sentiment and a corresponding increase in its price.

The legal drama began in December 2020 when the SEC accused Ripple of illegally raising $1.3 billion through unregistered XRP sales. In July 2023, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that while XRP is not a security when sold on exchanges, Ripple had indeed violated securities laws in institutional sales. The court imposed a $125 million penalty and a permanent ban on unregistered institutional XRP sales. Both Ripple and the SEC initially filed appeals, keeping legal uncertainty alive until now.

The tide turned in November 2024 when Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. His pro-crypto agenda, including nominating Paul Atkins to replace SEC Chair Gary Gensler, signaled a new era for digital assets. In early 2025, Ripple and the SEC reached a potential settlement, but the judge rejected the proposed $50 million deal. Ripple then opted to accept the court’s ruling rather than continue appealing, closing the case for good.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse officially confirmed via X (Twitter) that the company has withdrawn its cross-appeal and will pay the full $125 million penalty. “We’re closing this chapter and moving forward,” Garlinghouse stated. Reports suggest that the SEC will soon follow with its own appeal withdrawal, finalizing the long-awaited settlement.

With the legal overhang gone, XRP is now trending both in price and on Google Trends as bullish sentiment returns to the market. XRP has turned bullish as traders respond positively to the legal clarity. In just one hour, the price spiked by 0.2%, signaling rising demand. The current price of XRP is around $2.19, with a 24-hour gain of 4.3% and a 7-day gain of 2.4%.

According to a forecast by Google’s AI-powered model Gemini, the XRP price prediction suggests a short-term target of $3.00 – $3.59 and a 12-month potential of $5.00 – $8.00 with major catalysts. Key factors influencing XRP’s next rally include the potential approval of a spot XRP ETF by October 2025, U.S. market expansion post-lawsuit, new partnerships with global banks, developer activity on the XRP Ledger, and interoperability upgrades like Wormhole integration. Analysts estimate a 95% chance that a U.S. XRP ETF gets approved now that legal uncertainty is resolved, which could trigger massive institutional inflows.

With legal clarity, political support, and ETF momentum, XRP is now better positioned than ever. Ripple’s global partnerships and XRP’s growing utility in cross-border payments could accelerate adoption and drive long-term value. As XRP trends on Google, investors are asking: Is now the time to buy? The Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit is officially over, removing one of the biggest obstacles for XRP. With price gains, AI-based price targets, and high odds of a U.S. ETF, all eyes are now on XRP’s next move.