SEC Wants $770 Million From Ripple — Lawyer Says SEC Is 'Pissed and Embarrassed'

Crypto lawyer John Deaton detailed on social media platform X Wednesday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is demanding a $770 million penalty from Ripple for violating securities laws.

The SEC is pursuing this penalty after losing several legal battles against Ripple. Last week, the regulator dropped charges against Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. Earlier this month, District Judge Analisa Torres rejected the agency’s bid to appeal her ruling regarding XRP.

“What people need to understand is that the penalty phase is like a second case requiring more depositions, interrogatories, requests for production of documents, emails, bank statements, contracts, ODL [on-demand liquidity] transactions, etc.,” he explained. “I don’t expect a final judgment, issued by Judge Torres, until late summer, at the earliest. It literally could take a full year before an appeal is filed in this case.”