In a potential breakthrough moment for the crypto industry, Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have jointly filed a motion to pause their ongoing appeals, signaling that a deal could soon end their years-long legal battle.
Ripple and SEC Move Towards Settlement, File Joint Motion to Pause Objections
The petition, filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday, requests that the appeals process be put on hold while both sides finalize the terms of a potential deal — a move that could mark the end of one of the most closely watched legal disputes in crypto history.
After Years of Legal Tension, a Reconciliation is in Sight
The SEC first filed a lawsuit against Ripple in December 2020, alleging that the payments technology company conducted an unregistered securities offering through the sale of XRP tokens.
Ripple has long disputed the claim, arguing that XRP is a currency, not a security, and therefore falls outside the SEC's jurisdiction.
The case has become a key test for crypto regulation in the US and has sparked widespread debate over how digital assets should be classified.
According to court documents and a post by attorney James Filan, Ripple and the SEC have reached an “agreement in principle” to resolve all outstanding matters. This includes not only the SEC’s appeal of the district court’s ruling, but also Ripple’s cross-appeal and separate claims against Ripple executives Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen.
The joint petition asks the court to suspend the appeals process — essentially halting any further proceedings — to give the parties time to negotiate the final details of the settlement.
The SEC would need formal approval from its commissioners before any settlement could be finalized.
*This is not investment advice.
