Ripple just scored a major win — and its token XRP is soaring because of it.
After years of battling the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ripple has agreed to settle the case for $50 million. This marks the end of one of crypto’s most high-profile legal fights. And while it’s a hefty payout, Ripple actually had $125 million set aside just in case. Now, they’re taking a large chunk of that money back — plus the interest.
CEO Brad Garlinghouse called the outcome a “vindication,” pointing fingers at former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler for going after crypto too aggressively. In a recent Fox Business interview, he gave credit to the new SEC leadership and President Trump for turning the tide.
“I think it’s just evidence the old SEC was on the wrong side of the law,” he said, highlighting how the political shift has helped clear the fog around crypto regulations.
Ripple was one of the first major crypto companies to publicly back Trump, reportedly donating millions to his campaign and $5 million worth of XRP to his 2025 inauguration. Since Trump’s return to the White House, several crypto lawsuits and investigations have been dropped — including Ripple’s. Critics call it favoritism. Supporters say it’s the clarity the industry needed.
Meanwhile, XRP is holding strong at around $2. It’s now the best-performing major cryptocurrency of the last three months.
But Ripple’s not stopping there.
Fresh off the settlement, the company is going big. Ripple just acquired Hidden Road, a major crypto brokerage firm, in a $1.25 billion deal — its biggest purchase ever. This move opens the door for large institutions like BlackRock to confidently step into crypto with the help of Ripple’s infrastructure.
Ripple is also hiring again — and this time, in the U.S. “We had to build teams overseas because of uncertainty here,” Garlinghouse said. “Now we can finally invest in U.S. talent.”
And there’s more: Ripple recently launched its own stablecoin with approval from New York regulators, further expanding its product line.
Looking ahead, Garlinghouse expects more progress on U.S. crypto laws, including bills around stablecoins and market structure. That, combined with a friendlier regulatory climate, has him bullish on Bitcoin — he even raised his year-end prediction to $200,000.
“It’s not crazy,” he said. “People don’t realize how much of a tailwind we now have.”
With the legal drama behind it and a clearer path forward, Ripple is charging into the next chapter — and taking XRP along for the ride.
