Ripple Nears Resolution: Is XRP About to Surge?

Ripple and the SEC are said to be close to ending their prolonged court fight with settlement negotiations focusing on possibly redescribing XRP as a commodity instead of a security. It would follow the regulatory path that Ethereum took and would have far-reaching implications on Ripple's operations and the rest of the crypto space.

Ripple attorneys are working hard to negotiate better settlement terms, pushing back against the 2023-timed $125 million fine, contending that agreeing to it would be an admission of fault, particularly in light of the SEC's shifting position. The leadership shift, with Mark Uyeda replacing Gary Gensler, appears to be affecting the agency's strategy, a potential softening of which can be seen.

If XRP is redenominated as a commodity, that would in turn lead to increased institutional onboarding and end sales restrictions, and that may push its value to $3-$5. The case opened in December 2020, when the SEC charged that Ripple had engaged in an unregistered securities offering, can reshape regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrencies in the United States, with far-reaching consequences for subsequent market dynamics