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- SEC case finally shut down after years of dragging, Ripple now cleared for business focus.
- XRP surges as ETF odds spike, BlackRock and others possibly gearing up for major moves.
Ripple’s long legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has officially ended after nearly five years. On August 7, 2025, both parties filed a joint dismissal, closing the case that began in December 2020. This followed an internal SEC vote, where most commissioners agreed to shut the case down.
Judge Analisa Torres’ prior ruling still stands. The court had determined that XRP is not a security when used in retail transactions. This legal clarity comes with Ripple agreeing to pay a reduced penalty of $50 million, down from an earlier demand of $125 million. An injunction remains in place, but the company can now move forward with operations.
Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, shared the ruling on social media, saying the case’s end clears the company to fully concentrate on developing its business.
XRP ETF Prospects Strengthen with Legal Clarity
Following this, the expectation for the U.S.-listed XRP ETF surged. Prediction market Polymarket recorded increased ETF probability from 67% to 88%. The decline last week had been related to the perspective of SEC Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw on crypto, which had raised concerns among investors.
ETF expert Nate Geraci opined the legal clarity may pave the way for BlackRock to introduce an XRP ETF. Geraci, an outspoken advocate for crypto ETFs, added it would make “zero sense” for BlackRock to restrict itself to solely Bitcoin and Ethereum funds. The company, he noted, had probably waited for the court process to be over before it proceeded further.
World’s largest asset manager BlackRock already dominates the space of crypto ETFs with investments it has made in Bitcoin and Ethereum. BlackRock’s reserves of Bitcoin now total 738,170 BTC, valued at over $86 billion. The value of Bitcoin during the acquisition soared from $45,000 to over $123,000.
Yes, I think BlackRock was waiting to see this before filing for iShares XRP ETF…
I’ll own it if I’m wrong.
IMO, makes *zero* sense for them to ignore crypto assets beyond btc & eth.
Otherwise, they’re basically saying btc & eth are only ones that will ever have value. Bold. pic.twitter.com/FtBqMRFpOl
— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) August 8, 2025
XRP Surges Over 11% in 24 Hours, Eyes $5
XRP responded with an 11.52% price jump in just 24 hours, trading at $3.34. The gain came not only with the end of the lawsuit but also increasing ETF rumors. Technical analysts now keep a keen eye on the $3.33 level as an important level to hold for support. Holding this level could trigger a move towards the $5 level, as CNF mentioned in the recent article.
Crypto analyst CW noted the next resistance level for XRP is $3.65. If the token “breaks above this level, there will be no further resistance.” Some optimistic analyst Zach Rector thinks XRP has the potential to reach $30 by next year, given the influence of BlackRock and past tendencies.
Meanwhile, other companies such as Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and Grayscale are seeking SEC approval for XRP ETFs. The date for making the final ruling on these applications is set by the SEC within the fourth quarter of 2025. The entrance of BlackRock could change the dynamics of the competition within the ETF space.
