Ripple has reached a settlement with the SEC, leading to an increase in XRP prices and renewed optimism within the crypto market. The company’s agreement involves paying $50 million to resolve the SEC’s claims regarding XRP sales as unregistered securities. This follows a long legal battle that saw Ripple win some key points over the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 2023 saw a partial victory for Ripple, with institutional sales deemed legal while public exchange transactions were found to violate securities laws. 2023 also witnessed the end of the SEC’s hostile stance towards Ripple, with former SEC chair Gary Gensler replaced by a more receptive administration. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse noted this shift in regulatory approach is already resulting in increased business expansion opportunities, as they’ve recently acquired prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion. This move provides Ripple with the tools to attract larger institutions like BlackRock and Wall Street firms into their market, previously hindered by regulatory uncertainty.