Ripple’s 4-Year Lawsuit Battle with the SEC Ends: Timeline, Turning Points, and the Final Verdict

The Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit is one of the biggest and most intense battles in the history of the crypto market, keeping investors, regulators, and service providers on the edge of their seats. Beginning with a courtroom clash to doubts over Ripple’s functioning and the credibility of the crypto industry, this XRP lawsuit did major damage, but that’s not relevant anymore. Let’s discuss.

What is the Ripple vs SEC Lawsuit?

The Ripple vs SEC lawsuit is the legal battle between the prominent technology company, Ripple, and the U.S. regulators, the SEC. It is one of the most watched legal battles and ran for a four-year course, shaping the status of digital assets. More importantly, it impacted the XRP price majorly, crashing it to $0.5, but the same is worth $3.33 as the case ends.

It is a prominent case, where it became the core of the distinction between the status of digital assets between Securities and commodities. In this, SEC claims that XRP is a security, whereas Ripple defends it as “not a security.’

It matters as it was the SEC’s first case among the top cryptocurrencies by market cap. Its results would shape the crypto regulation and more.

Key Timelines, Turning Points, and the Final Verdict of the Ripple vs SEC Lawsuit

It all began on December 22, 2020, when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Ripple Labs, the blockchain firm behind XRP. Along with the company, CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen were pulled into a lawsuit, as the SEC alleged that their sale of XRP constitutes an unregistered offering.

As the case unfolded, it turned into more than a dispute between a company and the regulator. Instead, the entire crypto market got pulled into it, impacting the prices of digital assets on multiple occasions.

2021 – Ripple Fights Back

Notably, the Ripple vs SEC lawsuit became a high-profile case in 2021, when Ripple responded with a motion to dismiss. During January 2022, the court ruled that XRP sales were a security transaction. However, in the same year, in April, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that they do not qualify as securities offerings.

And the case continues for three more years, with 2023 becoming the year of discovery and deposition. This year, both parties exchanged internal documents. Moreover, Ripple pressed on the treatment of XRP as currency and argued on the lack of the SEC’s regulatory clarity, citing the SEC’s internal emails and inconsistent cryptocurrency classification within their team.

2024 – XRP Lawsuit Trial Begins

The trials began in late 2024, witnesses were presented, and the experts’ testimonies drove the court hearings. At this point, the case neared its end, but the court imposed a $125 million penalty on Ripple for institutional sales violations. However, they denied the SEC’s demand for disgorgement of profits and limited Ripple’s financial liability.

The Ripple win became more significant when the SEC reportedly abandoned its appeal in March 2025. By March 8, 2025, the XRP lawsuit officially concluded as both sides dropped their appeal, and Ripple agreed to pay $50 million.

August 2025 – Lawsuit Ends

Now, Ripple vs SEC officially ends on August 7, as confirmed by Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer. More importantly, Judge Analisa Torres’ ruling also ruled that XRP is not a security.