Bitcoin's Previous Surge Triggered an XRP Price Explosion, Rising 518% over 77 Days
After a five-year legal battle, the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit has come to an end. On June 27, 2025, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that Ripple has decided to drop its cross-appeal, accepting the original civil penalty of $125 million. This development follows a June 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, who rejected a joint request from Ripple and the SEC to reduce the penalty to $50 million and to lift a permanent injunction on Ripple's institutional XRP sales [1][2][5].
The resolution of this long-standing lawsuit removes a major regulatory overhang that has long clouded XRP, potentially improving investor confidence and institutional adoption over time. Following the announcement, XRP prices rose modestly by about 1.4% [1].
Ripple's XRP continues to support stablecoin use cases by enabling efficient liquidity, fast settlement, and serving as a bridge in cross-currency transactions. The XRP Ledger is seeing progress with the addition of new fiat-backed stablecoins, including USDC, XSGD, EURØP, RLUSD, and USDB [6].
In terms of market position, Bitcoin continues to dominate as the largest and most widely recognized cryptocurrency, often considered "digital gold." XRP, while popular and with use cases in cross-border payments and remittances, still plays a different role in the crypto ecosystem. Ending the SEC lawsuit may help XRP gain more legitimacy but is unlikely to directly challenge Bitcoin's market dominance in the near future [4].
However, the conclusion of the lawsuit may set a precedent for clearer regulatory frameworks for crypto assets, potentially benefiting other projects and contributing to market maturation [1][2][3]. Ripple is also seeing growing demand for XRP exposure on Wall Street, with multiple XRP ETF applications stacking up at the Securities and Exchange Commission [3].
The lawsuit's conclusion may not only impact XRP but also other cryptocurrencies. For instance, Ethereum, which held around 14% of Bitcoin's market cap in June, continues to challenge the status quo with its smart contract services seen as having the potential to disrupt finance, insurance, and legal sectors [4].
As for the future, both Ethereum and Ripple investors see potential for their respective platforms to be as disruptive as Bitcoin and achieve similar levels of adoption. If Bitcoin's price follows the trend of its last rally, XRP's price could potentially see +500% gains in the event of $150,000 Bitcoin and +1,000% ROI in the event of $200,000 Bitcoin [7].
In summary, the conclusion of the SEC vs. Ripple case marks a significant milestone for XRP, reducing legal uncertainty and potentially paving the way for growth. However, XRP's market position relative to Bitcoin remains distinct, with Bitcoin firmly maintaining its status as the leading cryptocurrency [1][2].
References: [1] Coindesk (2025). Ripple Drops Cross-Appeal in SEC Case, Ending Legal Battle. [online] Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/ripple-drops-cross-appeal-in-sec-case-ending-legal-battle/
[2] Cointelegraph (2025). Ripple Settles SEC Lawsuit, Drops Cross-Appeal, to Pay $125 Million Fine. [online] Available at: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-settles-sec-lawsuit-drops-cross-appeal-to-pay-125-million-fine
[3] Bloomberg (2025). Ripple's XRP Rises After SEC Says It Won't Appeal $125 Million Settlement. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-27/ripple-s-xrp-rises-after-sec-says-it-won-t-appeal-125-million-settlement
[4] Forbes (2025). Ripple's SEC Lawsuit Settlement: What Does It Mean for XRP and the Crypto Market? [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2025/06/27/ripple-sec-lawsuit-settlement-what-does-it-mean-for-xrp-and-the-crypto-market/
[5] Reuters (2025). Ripple Settles SEC Lawsuit, Drops Cross-Appeal, to Pay $125 Million Fine. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/ripple-settles-sec-lawsuit-drops-cross-appeal-pay-125-million-fine-2025-06-27/
[6] CoinDesk (2025). Ripple's XRP Ledger Adds More Stablecoins, Boosting Cross-Currency Transactions. [online] Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/ripple-xrp-ledger-adds-more-stablecoins-boosting-cross-currency-transactions/
[7] Business Insider (2025). If Bitcoin Hits $150,000, XRP Could Potentially See +500% Gains. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/if-bitcoin-hits-150000-xp-could-potentially-see-500-gains-2025-7
- The resolution of the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit may set a precedent for clearer regulatory frameworks for other cryptocurrencies, potentially benefiting projects like Ethereum.
- Ethereum, with its smart contract services, continues to challenge the status quo in finance, insurance, and legal sectors, holding around 14% of Bitcoin's market cap in June.
- Investors see potential for Ethereum's platform to be as disruptive as Bitcoin and achieve similar levels of adoption, similar sentiments held by Ripple investors.
- The crypto market, with key players like Bitcoin, Ripple, and Ethereum, continues to be a space for investing and growth, as technological advancements in blockchain, finance, and decentralized finance (DeFi) drive innovation.
