OVERVIEW

Why XRP Is Pamping Today

XRP is not just outperforming the crypto market today; it’s like it has totally decoupled from the rest of the market. At the time of writing, the Total Market Cap is down -1.71% and the altcoin market cap is down -3.02%. XRP? +5.22%. 🟩 

In today’s Litepaper, we’re looking at why XRP is doing so well when the rest of the market looks so bleak.

Also on deck: an in depth look at stablecoins and why one former House Speaker thinks they are the key to solving the U.S.’s financial woes. 📰

Before we dive in, here’s today’s crypto market heatmap:

And here’s a look at crypto’s total and altcoin market cap YTD:

XRP
Ripple vs. SEC: Hope Of An End Of These Shenanigans 🍀 

Why is XRP moving in the total opposite direction of the rest of the market today? 🤔 

The reason is likely due to rumors that the SEC may drop the stupidly insane $2 billion to somewhere in the hundreds of millions. In other words: a compromise might be in the works.

Most recently, the SEC shot down Ripple’s ($XRP) latest attempt to lower its penalty from a staggering $2 billion. Ripple’s argument? A comparison to the Terraform Labs case, which the SEC quickly dismissed. 🚕

SEC Rejects Ripple’s Penalty Reduction Demand

Ripple cited the SEC’s $4.5 billion settlement with Terraform Labs and requested Judge Analisa Torres revise its penalty to no more than $10 million—a fraction of the SEC’s proposed $876.3 million.

Ripple pointed out that Terraform’s $420 million civil penalty was just 1.27% of its $33 billion gross sales. The SEC, however, argued that this comparison was flawed.

The SEC stated that Terraform’s penalty was based on the gross profit of the violative conduct. By that calculation, Ripple’s penalty would be $102.6 million if applied to the $876.3 million in gross profits the SEC sought to disgorge from Ripple. 💵 

The Clash Continues

Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, publicly countered the SEC’s demands, highlighting that, unlike Terraform Labs, Ripple has not agreed to return funds to investors or implement leadership changes.

Alderoty emphasized that there are no victims to compensate in Ripple’s case, and XRP has been deemed not a security for retail sales on digital asset exchanges. “The SEC is raging. Ripple defended itself, agreeing to nothing. The court provided clarity that XRP is not a security. And worst of all for the SEC, Ripple is thriving. But at least the SEC seems to have abandoned its absurd demand for $2 billion,” he stated on X.