Ripple is negotiating with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to end its multi-year legal dispute. An interesting point in these negotiations is the possibility of paying a $50 million fine using Ripple’s native token, XRP. Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s CEO, mentioned in an interview on April 11 that during the negotiations with the SEC, the option of paying the fine with XRP has been discussed. He added that both the SEC and the U.S. government will receive $50 million each, which might be settled with XRP. This agreement follows both parties’ decision to set aside reconsideration requests, bringing the case closer to its final stage. Garlinghouse also stated on the X network that it is now time to move past the SEC’s war on cryptocurrencies and enter a new phase where institutional flows merge with decentralized finance (DeFi) matters. In 2024, Judge Analisa Torres had set Ripple’s penalty at $125 million for selling unregistered XRP to institutional investors. Ripple had held the penalty amount in an interest-bearing account, but the reconsideration process prevented its enforcement. With the withdrawal of the reconsideration, Ripple’s penalty has been reduced to $50 million. According to a document recently submitted to court, the parties have reached an initial agreement and are now awaiting final approval from the SEC. If this agreement is confirmed, one of the most significant regulatory cases in the cryptocurrency world will come to an end. It is noteworthy that paying the fine with XRP may indicate a shift in the SEC’s stance towards digital assets. On the real-time digital currencies price page, you can monitor the prices of all tokens and cryptocurrencies live.
