In a landmark development, #Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced a pivotal moment in the company’s ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a conflict that has persisted for four years and cast a long shadow over $XRP and the broader crypto market.

Speaking on social media platform X, Garlinghouse stated:

> “As Ripple, we are withdrawing our cross-claim application. The SEC will also withdraw its own request as previously agreed.”

This statement had an immediate impact on the market. #XRP surged 4.8% in a matter of hours, reaching $2.19—one of its strongest daily performances in recent weeks.

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🔹 2. Court Rejects Joint Proposal on Penalty Reduction

Despite the progress, the court denied a joint request from Ripple and the SEC to reduce the proposed $125 million fine related to XRP's institutional sales being classified as securities.

Judge Analisa Torres ruled against the request, citing Ripple’s previous positions as potentially "susceptible to coercion." She warned that reducing the fine could set a precedent for future regulatory violations.

Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, responded with clarity:

> “The legal status of XRP as a non-security remains unchanged. Regardless of the court’s decisions, that fundamental position stands.”

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🔹 3. Market Momentum Builds: XRP Eyes New Highs

Following these legal updates, market sentiment toward XRP has significantly improved—particularly among U.S.-based investors. The resolution of regulatory uncertainty may open the door for renewed institutional interest and capital inflow.

Market Snapshot:

Daily Price Surge: +4.8%

Current Price: $2.19

Volume: Rising steadily

Key Resistance Levels: $2.40 and $2.72

Mid-Term Target: $3.00 (psychological resistance)

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🔹 4. XRP Ledger 2.5.0 Launches: Paving the Way for Institutional Adoption

Parallel to the legal milestones, RippleX has launched XRP Ledger version 2.5.0, marking a significant leap in functionality, particularly for institutional finance, stablecoins, and complex transaction handling.

Key Features:

XLS-85 Protocol:

Introduces escrow capabilities for stablecoins and third-party tokens, enhancing XRP Ledger’s appeal for institutional use cases.

XLS-56 Wrapper Transactions:

Enables bundling of up to eight steps into a single transaction, reducing both cost and operational complexity.

User Activity Surge:

Before: ~35,000 daily active wallets

After Update: 295,000+

This exponential increase highlights the market’s strong response to the new capabilities.

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🔹 5. Looking Ahead: The Institutional Era for XRP

With regulatory clouds lifting and the XRP Ledger receiving a major upgrade, XRP is now well-positioned for renewed institutional engagement and broader adoption in financial ecosystems.

Brad Garlinghouse summarized Ripple's vision:

> “We are now focused on building the Internet of Value.”

This vision underscores Ripple's ambition to evolve XRP from a digital currency to the foundational infrastructure for global value exchange.

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📌 Conclusion: XRP Enters a Transformative Phase

Ripple’s dual progress on legal and technological fronts marks a turning point for XRP. The conclusion of the SEC case removes a critical overhang, while the rollout of XRP Ledger 2.5.0 enables robust institutional integration.

As momentum builds and investor confidence strengthens, the question now is not whether XRP will grow—but how high it can go. Could a new all-time high be on the horizon?

#RippleUpdate #BinanceAlphaAlert #BTCPrediction