In a key development that has caught the attention of XRP fans, the Ripple suit seemingly vanished from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website.
Some crypto commentators suggested this could signal the end of the protracted legal battle over the XRP cryptocurrency.
SEC Removes Ripple Lawsuit From Its Website
Eagle-eyed crypto pundits quickly noticed that the SEC had removed Ripple-related civil actions from its website.
However, an X user identifying as an attorney on X clarified that “the SEC website does not matter”, noting that the case has simply been moved to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
“The appeal is still open in the Court’s nationwide PACER system. I am an attorney. I just logged in,” the user, going by the online moniker Shell Avocat, wrote in his post. “The last entry is Ripple’s request for a time extension to file its Brief. The case status is still shown as ‘Active.’ That may change soon.”
On Jan. 23, Ripple requested a due date of April 16, 2025, to submit its response brief. This followed the SEC’s Jan. 15, 2025 opening brief, in which the top regulator asked the court to overturn some key aspects of a previous ruling regarding XRP sales to retail investors. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres previously found that while XRP in itself is not a security, Ripple’s sales to institutional investors qualified as securities transactions.
Ripple was slapped with a $125 million fine in August 2024, leading the SEC to appeal the ruling and the blockchain payments startup to file a cross-appeal.
Ripple Optimistic Next SEC Chairman Will Withdraw XRP Lawsuit This Year
Although the XRP lawsuit is currently active, Ripple executives are convinced it could be tossed out by the new crypto-friendly administration at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, recently said that the next head of the SEC, once confirmed by the Senate, could potentially withdraw crypto enforcement cases not involving fraud.
Speaking in a Tuesday Spaces discussion for XRP Community Day 2025, Alderoty stated that he was hopeful that the SEC, under potential chairman Paul Atkins, would likely dismiss the lawsuit this year.
“Litigation, regulation by enforcement, is not the path that this country should be pursuing. I believe the new SEC understands that, and I remain cautiously optimistic that at some point during 2025, the case will be voluntarily withdrawn,” he quipped.
Alderoty and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse also seem to have a tight relationship with President Donald Trump. The pair had a lavish dinner with the then-president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home in January, as ZyCrypto reported.
Meanwhile, Garlinghose is advocating for a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve that includes more than one token.
