Democrats Criticize SEC After It Drops Ripple Lawsuit

Published at 2026-01-16 19:31:23

Democratic lawmakers have stepped up criticism of the Securities and Exchange Commission after it quietly dropped its high-profile lawsuit against Ripple and several associated firms. The case, which helped shape market views on whether XRP and similar tokens qualify as securities, had been closely watched by crypto companies, investors and legal observers for years. Critics in Congress say the sudden withdrawal demands answers about the agency’s enforcement process and decision-making, and some are calling for hearings or an inspector-general review. The episode could accelerate legislative pressure for clearer crypto rules and leave market participants looking for a formal SEC explanation to restore regulatory certainty and investor confidence.

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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said there is no clash with the White House and that talks remain ongoing as the industry works on proposals tied to the CLARITY market-structure bill. The focus is on ways to support community banks' role in crypto.

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Published at 2026-01-18 00:15:08

Ripple and UC Berkeley Launch UDAX Accelerator to Scale XRP Ledger Startups

Ripple and UC Berkeley today unveiled UDAX, an accelerator for projects building on the XRP Ledger; nine startups completed the pilot and received technical mentorship and VC introductions. The program aims to deepen developer activity and drive real-world use cases for XRP Ledger technology.

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Published at 2026-01-17 22:45:05

Georgia Orders Shutdown of Unlicensed Crypto ATMs

State authorities ordered Virtual Assets LLC to cease operations after the firm failed to demonstrate it was an authorized money transmitter. The action removes access to the company’s ATM network while regulators assess compliance.

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Published at 2026-01-17 21:45:06

Texas, New Hampshire Lead U.S. Race to Put Bitcoin on State Balance Sheets

Texas and New Hampshire are among a growing number of U.S. states moving to add Bitcoin (BTC) to their balance sheets as Congress advances a federal crypto market structure bill. The actions signal rising state-level appetite for digital-asset exposure and could shape wider treasury practices.

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Published at 2026-01-17 15:45:05

XRP Volume Surges in Korea After Traders Exploit Spot-Only Exchange Loophole

XRP has overtaken Bitcoin and Ethereum as South Korea’s retail trading favorite after traders exploited a spot-only exchange loophole, sending local volume sharply higher. The shift underscores divergent regional preferences and could alter price discovery and regulatory focus.