XRP's price suddenly shot up by over 20% on Wednesday. It reached $0.61. This jump followed the final ruling in the Ripple Labs versus SEC lawsuit. And that might be just a beginning.
Judge Torres made a decisive ruling. Ripple Labs must pay $125 million in civil penalties. They must also stop violating securities laws. This ends a legal battle that lasted nearly four years.
The penalty is far less than expected. The SEC had initially demanded $2 billion from Ripple. That's a huge difference.
"Judge Torres has ruled that Ripple, $XRP, must pay $125M in civil penalties and stop any further violations of securities laws," reported unusual_whales on Twitter. This puts an end to the lengthy legal battle with the SEC.
The lawsuit's origins date back to 2020. The SEC accused Ripple Labs of issuing XRP as a security. It was a bombshell allegation at the time.
Last summer, Judge Torres made a crucial decision. She ruled that XRP wasn't necessarily a security. This paved the way for today's final ruling.
The market's reaction was swift and strong. XRP's price jumped more than 20% in a day. That's no small potatoes in the crypto world. Especially when we are recovering from the 'big bang', like the one that happened last week with BTC prices crashing to $49,000 and altcoins convulsing as if it was the last day on Earth.
Regulatory uncertainty has been a thorn in Ripple's side. It's hampered XRP and Ripple Labs' global crypto business for years. This ruling lifts a massive weight off their shoulders.
The threat of XRP being labeled a security in the USA is gone. This could boost the cryptocurrency's adoption prospects. It's a big deal for XRP's future.
Since Monday, XRP's price has skyrocketed. It's up over 40% from its lows around $0.43. Talk about a comeback kid.