Ripple’s Edge in SEC Battle Attributed to Activism of ‘XRP Army’

‘XRP Army’ Recognized as Key Player in Ripple’s SEC Victory

Ripple’s four-year clash with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) came to an official close this August, ending a case that began in 2020 when regulators accused the company of raising funds through an unregistered securities sale. What began as a high-stakes legal battle ended with Ripple, its lawyers—and even the presiding judge—crediting the grassroots “XRP Army” for influencing the outcome.

Attorney John Deaton, who represented XRP holders via an amicus brief, said the community’s role was undeniable. “Anyone denying their role is either ignorant of the facts and truth or intentionally lying,” he wrote on X. Judge Analisa Torres cited Deaton’s filings, investor affidavits, and arguments from his separate LBRY case when ruling that XRP itself does not qualify as a security.

Ripple’s Deputy General Counsel Deborah McCrimmon agreed, noting that community-led research helped bolster Ripple’s “fair notice” defense. “I could have paid lawyers thousands of dollars to do that, and yet the XRP Army was already mining speeches, statements, and government commentary and posting it online,” she said on The Penta Podcast.

The case produced one of crypto’s most consequential rulings: in July 2023, Judge Torres decided that XRP sold on secondary markets was not a security, though institutional sales were treated differently. The decision gave Ripple breathing room and fueled a surge in XRP’s price. The token jumped 72% after the ruling, later reaching an all-time high of $3.65 in July 2025.

XRP currently trades around $2.85, down roughly 1% over the past 24 hours.