XRP Lawsuit Continues as SEC Prioritizes Cases with Imminent Deadlines

• The SEC prioritizes cases with imminent deadlines, delaying a pause request in Ripple’s XRP lawsuit.
• Ripple’s next court deadline is April 16, contrasting with paused SEC cases involving Binance and Coinbase.
• Leadership changes at the SEC may influence how the Ripple lawsuit progresses in the coming months.

The legal battle between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) remains ongoing, unlike other high-profile cases involving Binance and Coinbase. Recent insights reveal the Commission’s focus on cases with pressing deadlines as a reason for the lack of a pause in the Ripple case.

SEC Focuses on Urgent Legal Deadlines

FOX journalist Eleanor Terrett reported that the SEC has prioritized cases with immediate court deadlines. This approach explains why the Commission has yet to request a pause in the Ripple lawsuit. 

Ripple’s next deadline, scheduled for April 16, involves filing its opening brief, leaving both parties with ample time to prepare. In contrast, the SEC filed a request for an extension in its case against Coinbase, citing an imminent deadline to respond to the exchange’s appeal request.

The SEC’s lawsuit against Binance saw both parties agree to a 60-day pause to explore settlement options. However, no similar request has emerged in the Ripple case. The differing timelines highlight the SEC’s approach to managing its legal calendar based on urgency rather than uniform strategy. With Ripple’s deadline still weeks away, neither party appears to be rushing to delay proceedings.

Potential Impact of Leadership Changes at SEC

Terrett pointed out that the SEC appears to hold off on advancing Ripple’s lawsuit until Paul Atkins secures Senate approval as SEC Chair. New leadership at the agency might reshape how the agency handles its current legal proceedings including the Ripple case. The Commission faces changes in leadership as regulatory entities work towards filling the regulatory gaps responsible for these legal proceedings.
Former SEC lawyer John Reed Stark previously suggested that the XRP lawsuit could reach a resolution soon. He referenced the pauses in the SEC’s cases against Coinbase and Binance, predicting that a similar outcome may follow for Ripple. Stark believes the Commission might suspend or withdraw its crypto-related appeals, including the Ripple case.