Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have reached a settlement in a long-standing legal dispute, agreeing to pay a $50 million fine, significantly lower than the SEC's initial demand of $2 billion. If approved by the New York federal court, this agreement will put an end to the legal controversy surrounding the sale of Ripple's XRP to institutional investors. Both parties agreed to withdraw all appeals. This settlement comes as the SEC, under the leadership of new Chairman Paul Atkins, gradually pulls back from aggressive cryptocurrency regulation.