The world is waiting with bated breath as Ripple and the SEC near a resolution to their ongoing legal saga

Ripple's ongoing legal saga with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already sent shockwaves across the crypto market

The world is holding its breath as the dust settles on Ripple’s legal saga with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The saga, which has already sent shockwaves through the crypto market, appears to be nearing its end, with recent developments adding a surprising twist.

As part of the settlement, Ripple is expected to pay the SEC’s $50 million fine. However, a suggestion has been made that this payment could be made in XRP—a move that would have massive implications for the U.S. government’s digital asset stockpile.

During a recent FOX Business interview with Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s CEO, the company revealed that it is in discussions with the SEC about paying the fine in XRP. This would be a significant shift, as it’s expected that the payment would typically be made in fiat currency.

However, Garlinghouse dropped a bombshell when he mentioned that XRP could be used to settle the agreed fine of $50 million. This suggestion stems from a ruling in August 2024 by Judge Analisa Torres, who ordered Ripple to pay $125 million for violating securities laws by offering XRP to institutional clients without proper registration.

After the ruling, Ripple immediately complied with the court order and deposited the entire sum of $125 million into an interest-bearing account to await the legal proceedings.

Now, with the SEC shifting its enforcement priorities, it appears that Ripple and the SEC are finally nearing a settlement. The SEC has agreed to drop its appeal of the case and will reduce the fine to $50 million, while also lifting the permanent injunction that was part of the original ruling.

But the real drama lies in how Ripple will pay this fine—and whether XRP will play a role.

The U.S. government is currently building a digital asset stockpile as part of a broader initiative to manage and integrate digital assets. Former President Trump included this initiative in one of his final executive orders, aiming to create a Bitcoin-only reserve and a stockpile of various altcoins. Trump had also mentioned XRP as one of the cryptocurrencies that could be included in this stockpile.

The government is already collecting forfeited assets, such as Bitcoin and Monero, for this initiative. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the feds have seized more than $16 billion in cryptocurrencies over the past year.

The government’s blockchain wallet currently holds over $16 billion in cryptocurrencies, including heavyweights like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and Binance Coin (BNB). Notably absent from this inventory is XRP.

However, if Ripple settles its fine with the SEC using XRP, the government could finally add XRP to its growing digital asset inventory. This is because the government typically accepts forfeited assets for its digital asset stockpile.

The Executive Order specifies that the funds for the digital reserve must come from civil and criminal forfeitures—meaning that XRP, if used for this settlement, could be seen as part of this larger initiative.

This news is significant not just for Ripple, but for the entire crypto market. While the details still need to be finalized, Ripple’s potential settlement in XRP raises a huge question: Could the U.S. government’s acceptance of XRP signal a shift toward broader institutional adoption of the digital asset?

XRP’s role in the market has always been controversial. Despite being a leader in the cross-border payment sector, it has faced regulatory hurdles and uncertainty about its status as a security. But now, the U.S. government’s possible inclusion of XRP in its digital reserves would add another layer of legitimacy to the coin and could have far-reaching implications for XRP’s future price and regulatory landscape.

As SEC commissioners prepare to vote on the final terms of the settlement, the world is watching closely. If the proposal for paying the fine in XRP is accepted, Ripple’s payment will be a monumental moment in crypto history. Will this be the tipping point for XRP’s journey into mainstream acceptance? And, perhaps most importantly, will Ripple’s fine ultimately find its way into the hands of the U.S. government’s digital asset stockpile?

Time will tell, but one thing is for sure: this saga is far from over.