2 Outcomes: Ripple's Legal Chief Reveals Best SEC Can Hope for in XRP Appeal
Ripple’s chief legal officer has highlighted two potential outcomes for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s appeal in the Ripple lawsuit over XRP. He explained the SEC’s best-case scenario and noted that Ripple’s Fair Notice defense remains solid. The Ripple legal chief also reaffirmed XRP’s non-security status despite the appeal.
2 Outcomes: Ripple’s Stuart Alderoty Weighs In on SEC Appeal
Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, shared his perspective on the ongoing legal battle between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a post on social media platform X on Sunday.
Alderoty emphasized that the outcome of the SEC’s appeal is likely limited to two possibilities: either the Second Circuit Court of Appeals will affirm District Judge Analisa Torres’ ruling, or it will expand upon it. He detailed:
The 2nd Cir. will either affirm Judge Torres or expand her ruling. The best the SEC can hope for (and it’s a remote hope) is a remand.
Alderoty further pointed out: “But during the SEC’s failed ‘interlocutory’ appeal, Judge Torres made it clear that ‘Howey’ and all of Ripple’s defenses, including Fair Notice, would then be back on the table. The Fair Notice standard asks if a person of ‘ordinary intelligence’ was aware of what the law prohibited.”
The Ripple chief legal officer continued:
The SEC could end up arguing to Judge Torres that she wasn’t a person of ‘ordinary intelligence’ when she ruled against them. Awkward.
In an imaginative comparison, Alderoty likened the ongoing legal saga between the SEC and Ripple to classic stories, saying the case has always felt like “Moby Dick (with [SEC Chair Gary] Gensler starring as Captain Ahab),” but now feels more like “Moby Dick meets My Cousin Vinny.”
Alderoty recently stressed that the court ruling declaring XRP not a security in retail sales remains intact, despite the SEC’s appeal. The agency is contesting several other elements of the July 2023 decision by Judge Torres. In response, Ripple plans to file a cross-appeal. This high-profile legal battle could have significant implications for future cryptocurrency regulations and the classification of digital assets like XRP.
You may also like
AI Trading's Ultimate Test: Empower Your AI Strategy with Tencent Cloud to Win $1.88M & a Bentley
AI traders! Win $1.88M & a Bentley by crushing WEEX's live-market challenge. Tencent Cloud powers your AI Trading bot - can it survive the Feb 9 finals?

Russia’s Largest Bitcoin Miner BitRiver Faces Bankruptcy Crisis – What Went Wrong?
Key Takeaways BitRiver, the largest Bitcoin mining operator in Russia, faces a bankruptcy crisis due to unresolved debts…

Polymarket Predicts Over 70% Chance Bitcoin Will Drop Below $65K
Key Takeaways Polymarket bettors forecast a 71% chance for Bitcoin to fall below $65,000 by 2026. Strong bearish…

BitMine Reports 4.285M ETH Holdings, Expands Staked Position With Massive Reward Outlook
Key Takeaways BitMine Immersion Technologies holds 4,285,125 ETH, which is approximately 3.55% of Ethereum’s total supply. The company…

US Liquidity Crisis Sparked $250B Crash, Not a ‘Broken’ Crypto Market: Analyst
Key Takeaways: A massive $250 billion crash shook the cryptocurrency markets, attributed largely to liquidity issues in the…

Vitalik Advocates for Anonymous Voting in Ethereum’s Governance — A Solution to Attacks?
Key Takeaways Vitalik Buterin proposes a two-layer governance framework utilizing anonymous voting to address collusion and capture attacks,…

South Korea Utilizes AI to Pursue Unfair Crypto Trading: Offenders Face Severe Penalties
Key Takeaways South Korea is intensifying its use of AI to crack down on unfair cryptocurrency trading practices.…

Average Bitcoin ETF Investor Turns Underwater After Major Outflows
Key Takeaways: U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs hold approximately $113 billion in assets, equivalent to around 1.28 million BTC.…

Japan’s Biggest Wealth Manager Adjusts Crypto Strategy After Q3 Setbacks
Key Takeaways Nomura Holdings, Japan’s leading wealth management firm, scales back its crypto involvement following significant third-quarter losses.…

CFTC Regulatory Shift Could Unlock New Opportunities for Coinbase Prediction Markets
Key Takeaways: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is focusing on clearer regulations for crypto-linked prediction markets,…

Hong Kong Set to Approve First Stablecoin Licenses in March — Who’s In?
Key Takeaways Hong Kong’s financial regulator, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), is on the verge of approving…

BitRiver Founder and CEO Igor Runets Detained Over Tax Evasion Charges
Key Takeaways: Russian authorities have detained Igor Runets, CEO of BitRiver, on allegations of tax evasion. Runets is…

Crypto Investment Products Struggle with $1.7B Outflows Amid Market Turmoil
Key Takeaways: The recent $1.7 billion outflow in the crypto investment sector represents a second consecutive week of…

Why Is Crypto Down Today? – February 2, 2026
Key Takeaways: The crypto market has seen a downturn today, with a significant decrease of 2.9% in the…

Nevada Court Temporarily Bars Polymarket From Offering Contracts in the State
Key Takeaways A Nevada state court has temporarily restrained Polymarket from offering event contracts in the state, citing…

Bitcoin Falls Below $80K As Warsh Named Fed Chair, Triggers $2.5B Liquidation
Key Takeaways Bitcoin’s price tumbled below the crucial $80,000 mark following the announcement of Kevin Warsh as the…

Strategy’s Bitcoin Holdings Face $900M in Losses as BTC Slips Below $76K
Key Takeaways Strategy Inc., led by Michael Saylor, faces over $900 million in unrealized losses as Bitcoin price…

Trump-Linked Crypto Company Secures $500M UAE Investment, Sparking Conflict Concerns
Key Takeaways A Trump-affiliated crypto company, World Liberty Financial, has garnered $500 million from UAE investors, igniting conflict…
AI Trading's Ultimate Test: Empower Your AI Strategy with Tencent Cloud to Win $1.88M & a Bentley
AI traders! Win $1.88M & a Bentley by crushing WEEX's live-market challenge. Tencent Cloud powers your AI Trading bot - can it survive the Feb 9 finals?
Russia’s Largest Bitcoin Miner BitRiver Faces Bankruptcy Crisis – What Went Wrong?
Key Takeaways BitRiver, the largest Bitcoin mining operator in Russia, faces a bankruptcy crisis due to unresolved debts…
Polymarket Predicts Over 70% Chance Bitcoin Will Drop Below $65K
Key Takeaways Polymarket bettors forecast a 71% chance for Bitcoin to fall below $65,000 by 2026. Strong bearish…
BitMine Reports 4.285M ETH Holdings, Expands Staked Position With Massive Reward Outlook
Key Takeaways BitMine Immersion Technologies holds 4,285,125 ETH, which is approximately 3.55% of Ethereum’s total supply. The company…
US Liquidity Crisis Sparked $250B Crash, Not a ‘Broken’ Crypto Market: Analyst
Key Takeaways: A massive $250 billion crash shook the cryptocurrency markets, attributed largely to liquidity issues in the…
Vitalik Advocates for Anonymous Voting in Ethereum’s Governance — A Solution to Attacks?
Key Takeaways Vitalik Buterin proposes a two-layer governance framework utilizing anonymous voting to address collusion and capture attacks,…