Will SEC Challenge XRP’s Status? Veteran Reveals SEC’s Likely Response

As a seasoned legal analyst with over two decades of experience in financial regulation, I have witnessed countless cases that have shaped the landscape of our financial markets. The Ripple case has been an intriguing one, marked by twists and turns that have kept industry observers on their toes.


On July 13, 2023, Judge Analisa Torres made a decision in the SEC vs. Ripple case, determining that XRP is not inherently classified as a security; however, Rippe’s sales of XRP on secondary trading platforms were not considered securities transactions, although its direct sales to institutional investors were deemed as such.

In response to the summary judgment decision made in the Ripple case, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted an interlocutory appeal on August 18, questioning the court’s determination regarding Ripple’s systematic sale of XRP on secondary market trading platforms.

On October 3, 2023, Judge Torres refused the Securities and Exchange Commission’s request, explaining that their ruling didn’t present a legal issue significant enough to generate debate among reasonable judges.

After Judge Torres dismissed the interlocutory appeal, the SEC chose to drop their allegations against Ripple’s top executives, Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen, on their own accord.

Legal analysts believe that the SEC intentionally chose to withdraw the case when they did, as this move allowed them to bypass a prolonged court trial and instead focus on appealing certain parts of Judge Torres’ summary judgment ruling more swiftly.

Will SEC appeal XRP‘s security status?

In August of this year, Ripple received a significant blow from a court decision, imposing a $125 million fine and a broader prohibition, thus concluding a nearly four-year long legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Subsequently, whispers about an appeal arose following Ripple’s September 4th filing, which requested that 111% of the monetary judgment be held in a bank account for the purpose of maintaining a stay.

1/ Regarding the programmatic sales, the court of appeals could determine if they were considered securities transactions without having to decide if XRP itself qualifies as a security. This matter is tangential and was merely mentioned in passing (as dictum) in the lower court’s decision.— Marc Fagel (@Marc_Fagel) September 8, 2024

Delving into the intricacies of this matter, I, as a seasoned analyst, have gathered valuable insights from SEC veteran Marc Fagel. His analysis sheds light on the possible trajectories for the SEC and elaborates on the aspects that could be involved in any potential appeal.

In Fagel’s view, if the SEC decides to challenge the ruling, the focus will be on whether programmatic sales were considered as securities transactions, not necessarily on whether XRP qualifies as a security. He suggests that a higher court might address this question without needing to rule on the status of XRP as a security. Fagel further explains that in the initial district court decision, the issue of XRP being a security was mentioned only as an aside, which is why it’s considered a secondary concern.

The former SEC regional director was answering a question by an X user, who asked if the SEC could challenge the dicta on XRP‘s security status directly.

As a researcher, I’ve noted that Fagel has pointed out the potential for the SEC to petition the court of appeals to clarify an ambiguous aspect of their decisions, which they’ve often left unclear in numerous cases. However, in his personal view, Fagel considers this action unnecessary and believes it’s unlikely that the second circuit will tackle this question head-on.

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2024-09-09 13:42