There’s a big update in the Ripple vs SEC case. Judge Analisa Torres has officially rejected a request from both Ripple and the SEC. They had asked the court to allow them to move forward with a private settlement, hoping it would cancel out the court’s earlier judgment. But the judge made it clear that private deals don’t erase public court decisions.
In her ruling, Judge Torres explained that her judgment was made based on the law, and since those laws haven’t changed, there’s no reason for her decision to change either. She also pointed out that Ripple and the SEC don’t have the power to ignore a final court ruling. If they want to settle, they’ll need to either drop their appeals and accept her decision or continue through the appeal process.
Crypto attorney Fred Rispoli weighed in on social media, giving some insight into what might happen next. He said both sides have to submit a status report to the 2nd Circuit Court in August. That report will reveal whether they plan to move forward with the appeal, which could keep the case going until late 2026 or early 2027, or if they’ve reached a settlement.
According to Rispoli, settlement is the most likely outcome and expects we could hear about it by the end of July or early August this year. For now, everyone’s waiting to see what the next move will be in this closely watched legal battle.
Attorney Bill Morgan also took to social media and wrote, “But as the judge points out the parties can just agree to settle by withdrawing the appeals. As I said in a post a few hours ago they could’ve done that any time over the last two months but Ripple wanted more. It wanted the injunction dissolved.”
Kraken, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the United States, has officially listed BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem developed by Binance.
This move has captured the attention of the crypto community. Still, it is also seen as a strategic turning point, potentially paving the way for a wave of BNB listings on other US exchanges like Coinbase, Gemini, and more.
Legal Landscape: From Barriers to Opportunities
US exchanges sidelined BNB for a long time due to legal concerns surrounding Binance, its parent company. In 2023, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Binance, alleging the issuance of unregistered securities, including BNB.
This legal scrutiny made many exchanges hesitant to list the token due to potential regulatory risks.
However, a turning point came in late 2024 when Binance settled with US authorities. The exchange agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine and implement stricter compliance reforms. This resolution largely cleared the “legal hurdle” for BNB, potentially influencing Kraken’s decision to list the token.
Regulatory Clarity Boosts Altcoins
Kraken’s listing of BNB may not be an isolated event. It reflects a broader shift in the regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies in the United States. In January 2024, the SEC approved a series of spot Bitcoin ETFs—a milestone hailed as a “historic moment” that legitimized Bitcoin and other digital assets in the eyes of institutional investors.
As regulators establish clearer frameworks for digital assets, the US market is gradually opening up to altcoins, including BNB.
With positive developments under President Donald Trump’s administration following his inauguration, this could be an opportune moment for other exchanges to reassess their stance on BNB.
BNB Chain and Its DeFi Potential
Beyond being a native token, BNB powers one of the fastest-growing blockchain ecosystems—BNB Chain. According to BNB Chain’s weekly ecosystem report, in the first week of April 2025 alone, the network recorded over 3.3 million daily active users.
The total transaction value surpassed $7.1 billion. Major DeFi, GameFi, and AI projects are thriving on this platform.
Moreover, BNB Chain is implementing notable technical advancements in its 2025 roadmap. They plan to reduce block processing times to under 1 second, enabling gasless transactions and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into decentralized applications (dApps). These factors make BNB a strategic asset for exchanges, attracting DeFi users.
Kraken’s decision to list BNB could trigger a domino effect across the industry. It signals that US exchanges may begin to recognize BNB as a legitimate and high-potential asset. This also reflects a shift in the strategy of US exchanges—from a defensive stance against legal risks to a proactive approach to leveraging the potential of the Web3 ecosystem.
The crypto Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activity in the digital currency ecosystem is taking new shape, with USDC issuer Circle still in acquisition talks. According to a new report from Fortune, despite its planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) push, the company is still in acquisition talks with Ripple Labs and Coinbase Global Inc. Circle Still for Sale, Coinbase Named Favorite Circle Filed for IPO in early April, marking a major milestone for the company that has been exploring avenues to go public since at least 2022. Despite its personal growth push, the company remain a target for other bigger firms in the crypto ecosystem. The Fortune report pegs the Circle IPO target at $5 billion. According to the publication, citing sources tied to the matter, there are informal negotiations ongoing between the USDC parent company and Ripple Labs. While the association to the blockchain payments firm is not new, Fortune’s… Read More at Coingape.com
The US Dollar Index (DXY) has dropped to a three-year low amid reports that President Donald Trump is considering removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Meanwhile, the development positively affected Bitcoin’s (BTC) price, pushing it to its highest level since President Trump’s Liberation Day.
Trump’s Push Against Powell Adds Pressure on the Dollar
According to the latest data, DXY has plunged below 99. At press time, it stood at 98.2, representing the lowest value since March 2022.
Economist Peter Schiff highlighted the severity of the situation in the latest post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Gold is up over $50, hitting a record high of $3,380. The euro is above $1.15. The dollar has also fallen below 141 Japanese yen and .81 Swiss francs (a new 14-year low, just 3% above a record low). The dollar Index is below 98.5, a new three-year low. This is getting serious,” Schiff posted.
The dollar’s steep fall comes amid the latest comments made by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Friday, April 18. Hassett revealed that Trump and his team are actively exploring the possibility of ousting Powell.
His statement was in response to a reporter’s question about whether removing Powell was an option.
“The president and his team will continue to study that matter,” Hassett replied.
In addition, he called out the Federal Reserve for politically motivated actions under Powell’s leadership. Specifically, Hassett criticized the Fed for raising interest rates shortly after Trump’s election and cutting them ahead of the election, moves he claims favored the Democratic Party.
Recently, Trump also blamed the Fed Chair for being slow to act on interest rate cuts. In a post on social media, Trump compared Powell’s actions unfavorably to the European Central Bank (ECB), which is set to implement its seventh interest rate cut.
Trump argued that Powell, whom he described as “always too late and wrong,” should have taken similar measures long ago to address economic conditions.
“Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” the President wrote.
The Fed Chair’s potential removal raises serious questions about the Federal Reserve’s independence and its implications for global markets. Powell, whose term as chair extends to May 2026, has previously stated that legal protections prevent his removal and that he intends to serve out his term.
Will Dollar Weakness Drive Bitcoin to New Heights?
Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that if Powell is removed and President Trump successfully persuades the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, it could likely lead to a crypto market rally. Generally, when the Fed lowers interest rates, the US dollar tends to weaken.
Therefore, investors prefer cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, which is often seen as a hedge against inflation and the weakening of fiat currencies. The inverse relation between the DXY and BTC further solidifies the case for a rally if the dollar depreciates.
At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $87,586. BeInCrypto data showed that this represented an appreciation of 3.5% over the past day. As markets celebrate these gains, the focus remains on Trump’s next moves and their broader economic consequences.
(@FilanLaw) June 26, 2025
