The long legal battle between Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finally behind us. With the agency officially dropping its remaining charges against Ripple executives, XRP holders are popping champagne.
But while the legal cloud has lifted, a deeper question remains: Did XRP truly win? Or just escape one storm to face another?
Ripple is building Ethereum-compatible smart contracts into the XRP Ledger. It just launched a new stablecoin called rlUSD. And it’s securing partnerships aimed at transforming the global payments system.
But here’s the thing: winning a lawsuit isn’t the same as winning trust.
One of the oldest criticisms of XRP is that it’s more centralized than most crypto assets. Bitcoin and Ethereum are community-driven, open networks. Ripple, on the other hand, has long steered the ship behind XRP — and hasn’t exactly denied it.
In fact, Ripple CTO David Schwartz once put it bluntly:
“Ripple can, will, and should act in its own interest… You should not expect Ripple to act in your interest to the detriment of its own interest or those of its shareholders.”
Ripple’s new stablecoin, rlUSD, is being positioned as a game-changer — a regulated, enterprise-grade stablecoin backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars. It’s also rolling out smart contract functionality to help developers build more apps on XRP Ledger.
But many in the space are asking: aren’t these just table stakes? Ethereum has had smart contracts since 2015. USDC and USDT already dominate the stablecoin market. Can Ripple truly compete — or is it simply catching up?
Ripple’s strategy seems clear: appeal to institutions, not retail. And that’s not necessarily bad. But retail holders should ask what that means for them. Will XRP grow in value as a utility asset — or will Ripple’s enterprise partnerships primarily benefit banks and payment processors?
So here’s the question worth asking: Does regulatory clarity automatically equal long-term value?
Or, put more bluntly: Ripple may have beaten the SEC — but did XRP win where it matters most?
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheStreet Crypto. This piece is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.