XRP News Today: XRP's Legal Victory Sparks Debate Over Its Future in Finance

Ripple (XRP) has found itself at the center of both regulatory and market attention following the conclusion of its protracted legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In a July 2023 ruling, Judge Analisa Torres determined that XRP sold on exchanges does not qualify as a security, while some institutional sales did. This partial victory for Ripple provided a degree of clarity for the company, though the case ended in August with both sides dropping appeals. The XRP Army, a grassroots group of XRP holders, was acknowledged by Ripple’s legal team and the court for its role in the litigation, with Judge Torres citing amicus briefs, holder affidavits, and arguments made in a separate case involving the LBRY platform. Ripple’s deputy general counsel, Deborah McCrimmon, emphasized the value of the unpaid research conducted by XRP holders, including gathering regulatory statements and speeches related to blockchain and crypto. The price of XRP has experienced significant volatility, spiking 72% after the 2023 ruling and reaching an all-time high of $3.65 in July 2025 before settling near $2.85. The token has since declined nearly 1% in the past 24 hours [1].

In parallel, Ripple is expanding its collaboration with Thunes, a global payments infrastructure provider, to enhance cross-border transaction capabilities. The partnership, which began in 2020, now leverages Ripple’s blockchain-powered solutions and Thunes’ Direct Global Network to improve real-time payouts and streamline international money movement. Ripple Payments, a core component of the collaboration, enables fast, transparent, and reliable cross-border transactions for banks, crypto companies, and fintechs. The network now covers over 90 payout markets and processes more than $70 billion in volume. Thunes’ integration of blockchain and digital asset technologies into its SmartX Treasury System further supports the partnership’s goals of enhancing efficiency and compliance in global financial services. Fiona Murray, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at Ripple, stated that the collaboration accelerates Ripple’s mission to improve the speed, accessibility, and security of cross-border payments [2].

The growing prominence of Ripple in the cross-border payments space has not gone unnoticed by traditional financial institutions, including SWIFT, the global messaging network for financial transactions. SWIFT’s Chief Innovation Officer, Tom Zschach, recently referred to Ripple as a “dead chain walking,” emphasizing the importance of neutral, shared governance in financial infrastructure. Zschach argued that institutions prefer decentralized systems not controlled by a single entity and that compliance should be governed by industry-wide standards rather than individual corporate efforts. His remarks reflect a broader skepticism in traditional finance regarding the scalability and governance of crypto-based solutions like XRP. Zschach’s statement also highlights the ongoing debate about the role of stablecoins and blockchain networks in the future of global settlement systems [4].

XRP’s position in the decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape further illustrates the challenges it faces in competing with platforms like Ethereum and Solana. According to DeFiLlama, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has a total value locked (TVL) of just $87.85 million, significantly lower than Ethereum’s $96.9 billion or Solana’s $11.27 billion. Additionally, decentralized exchange (DEX) volume on XRPL remains below $70,000 daily, compared to the millions observed on other chains. TheBlock’s data also reveals that XRP’s derivatives market, including futures open interest, is far behind that of Ethereum and Solana, suggesting limited institutional participation and weak network effects. Ripple has attempted to address these challenges through upgrades such as automated market makers (AMMs), the launch of its stablecoin RLUSD, and the introduction of an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain to improve compatibility with Ethereum-based applications. However, analysts argue that sustained growth will depend on the ability of developers and enterprises to build meaningful projects on the XRP Ledger [4].

Despite these challenges, Ripple continues to position itself as a leader in enterprise blockchain adoption. The company’s focus on regulatory compliance and partnerships with financial institutions aligns with its broader strategy to integrate blockchain into traditional financial systems. While the XRP Ledger remains a centralized network compared to its peers, Ripple’s emphasis on collaboration with regulators and its expanding infrastructure partnerships suggest a continued commitment to shaping the future of cross-border payments. Whether this strategy will be enough to overcome the growing dominance of Ethereum, Solana, and other DeFi ecosystems remains to be seen. For now, Ripple’s efforts to strengthen its ecosystem and expand its global reach through strategic alliances underscore its ongoing relevance in the evolving digital asset landscape [4].

Source:

[1] Ripple-SEC News: 'XRP Army' Credited by Lawyers in ... (https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/09/04/xrp-army-credited-with-helping-ripple-tilt-case-against-sec)

[2] Thunes and Ripple Expand Global Partnership to ... (https://www.thunes.com/news/thunes-and-ripple-expand-global-partnership-to-transform-cross-border-payments/)

[3] Thunes and Ripple Expand Global Partnership to ... (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thunes-and-ripple-expand-global-partnership-to-transform-cross-border-payments-302543568.html)

[4] Now That XRP is Dead, What's Next? Swift Executive Calls ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/now-xrp-dead-next-swift-105438346.html)

[5] Thunes and Ripple expand cross-border payments partnership (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thunes-ripple-expand-cross-border-115820496.html)