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Ripple Lawsuit, Ripple vs. SEC: A Landmark Crypto Case Concludes

Ripple lawsuit finally has come to an end

After nearly five years of intense legal battles, the high-profile lawsuit between Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has finally reached its conclusion. On August 7, 2025, both parties filed a joint request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to dismiss their respective appeals, marking the end of a case that has been a cornerstone of cryptocurrency regulation debates since its inception in December 2020. This resolution not only clears the path for Ripple’s growth but also sets a significant precedent for the broader crypto industry.

The SEC initiated the lawsuit, accusing Ripple and its executives, CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Christian Larsen, of raising over $1.3 billion through the sale of XRP as an unregistered security. Ripple countered that XRP is a digital currency, not a security, and that the SEC failed to provide clear regulatory guidance.

The case quickly became a flashpoint for the crypto industry, highlighting the tension between innovation and regulatory oversight in the U.S.A pivotal moment came in July 2023, when U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres delivered a mixed ruling. She determined that XRP sold on public exchanges to retail investors did not constitute a security, a significant victory for Ripple and the crypto sector. However, she ruled that institutional sales violated securities laws, leading to a $125 million fine—substantially less than the SEC’s $2 billion demand. Both parties initially appealed the decision, with the SEC challenging the retail sales ruling and Ripple filing a cross-appeal.

However, the mutual decision to drop these appeals in August 2025 finalized Judge Torres’ ruling, bringing closure to the saga.The resolution has been hailed as a triumph for Ripple and the XRP community. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, celebrated the outcome, stating, “The end…and now back to business.” CEO Brad Garlinghouse called it a “long-overdue surrender” by the SEC, criticizing the agency’s aggressive tactics under former Chair Gary Gensler. He argued that the lawsuit cost XRP holders $15 billion in value and stifled U.S. crypto innovation. The dismissal of appeals has removed a major cloud of regulatory uncertainty, boosting XRP’s price by over 13% to around $3.31.

The case’s conclusion has broader implications for cryptocurrency regulation. The SEC’s retreat from this and other crypto-related lawsuits, particularly under the current administration’s pro-crypto stance, signals a potential shift toward less aggressive enforcement. Judge Torres’ ruling that XRP is not a security in retail sales provides a legal benchmark for how digital assets may be classified, offering clarity for other blockchain firms.

This could pave the way for innovations like XRP-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and bolster Ripple’s global expansion plans, including its application for a National Trust Bank in New York to integrate XRP into U.S. financial infrastructure. For Ripple, the end of the lawsuit marks a new chapter. With legal hurdles cleared, the company is poised to focus on partnerships, such as Japan’s SBI Holdings’ planned Bitcoin/XRP ETF, and enhance the XRP Ledger’s use cases. The crypto industry, meanwhile, sees this as a step toward regulatory clarity, though challenges remain in defining the boundaries of digital asset oversight. As Ripple moves forward, the resolution of this landmark case underscores the resilience of the crypto sector in navigating complex regulatory landscapes.

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David Bailey’s Nakamoto creates Bitcoin Treasury with KindlyMD

David Bailey’s Bitcoin Treasury comes to life

On August 14, 2025, KindlyMD, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA) finalized its merger with Nakamoto Holdings Inc., a Bitcoin-native holding company, marking a bold step toward establishing a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury vehicle. The combined entity, retaining the KindlyMD name, will trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker “NAKA,” with Nakamoto operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary focused on Bitcoin financial services. The merger, backed by $540 million in private placement (PIPE) financing and an anticipated $200 million convertible note offering, aims to fund significant Bitcoin acquisitions and drive global adoption.

David Bailey, Nakamoto’s founder and the combined company’s CEO, envisions a future where Bitcoin anchors global capital markets. “Since my journey in Bitcoin began 13 years ago, I’ve believed it will become the most valuable asset in history,” Bailey stated. The company’s ambitious goal is to acquire one million Bitcoin, leveraging innovative financial strategies to integrate the cryptocurrency into corporate and government treasuries.Bailey revealed his plan in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, writing:

$762M Allocation to Acquire 6,400 BTC

The $762.5 million allocation, rounded up in Bailey’s statement, will be used to acquire roughly 6,400 BTC at current market prices of about $118,892 per coin. The purchase will be executed using a Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) strategy to minimize slippage and avoid market disruption, rather than a straight market buy.

Building a $1B Bitcoin Treasury

This move is part of Bailey’s broader $1 billion Bitcoin accumulation goal, allowing Nakamoto to join the ranks of major corporate holders like MicroStrategy and Metaplanet. Following its merger with Nasdaq-listed KindlyMD earlier this year, Nakamoto has gained access to significant capital resources, having previously secured $710 million to fuel its Bitcoin treasury expansion.

Expanding Influence in the Bitcoin Space

Bailey, who also co-founded Bitcoin Magazine’s parent company BTC Inc., has described his vision as building a “Bitcoin juggernaut” that will become one of the largest holders in the world. He also took to X recently to signal his plans to raise up to $200 million for a political action committee to advance Bitcoin’s interests in the United States.

Corporate Bitcoin Holdings Continue to Rise

Nakamoto’s purchase comes amid a surge in corporate Bitcoin acquisitions, with over 1.24 million BTC now held by public and private companies worldwide, showing Bitcoin’s growing presence in institutional portfolios.

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Coinbase DEX launches for the first time ever

Coinbase DEX has rolled out decentralized exchange (DEX) trading directly inside its app, giving users access to millions of onchain assets without leaving the platform. The launch is live for U.S. users outside New York State and runs on Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network, Base.

The feature introduces an integrated self-custody wallet, letting traders buy, sell, and manage tokens from the same interface they already use. Moreover, Coinbase is covering all network fees at launch, removing one of the main barriers to decentralized trading.

Faster Access to Onchain Markets

With the new Coinbase DEX integration, users can trade tokens within moments of their creation on Base. The initial rollout includes Base-native assets from projects like Virtuals AI Agents, Reserve Protocol DTFs, SoSo Value Indices, Auki Labs, and Super Champs. Support for new assets will be added in batches to maintain stable performance.

Trades are routed through Coinbase DEX aggregators that scan platforms like Aerodrome and Uniswap to secure the best available prices. Market data and risk insights are pulled directly from onchain sources, with Coinbase blocking access to tokens flagged as malicious by third-party security partners.

“A new era of access, going from just 300 assets yesterday to millions before long.” -Coinbase

Expansion Beyond Base

Coinbase plans to expand DEX trading to more networks, starting with Solana, and eventually to more countries. This move combines centralized convenience with decentralized freedom, offering portfolio management, fiat integration, and instant access to emerging tokens.

The company is positioning the update as part of its “everything exchange” vision, aiming to merge traditional listings with rapid onchain access. For traders and builders, this could mean faster entry to markets and a larger audience from day one.

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Circle to Launch ARC Layer 1

USDC issuer Circle has announced plans to launch its own open Layer-1 blockchain, Arc, later this year. The network is designed specifically for stablecoin payments, foreign exchange, and capital markets, a move the company calls “the next era of stablecoin-native applications.” The announcement was made on August 12 through Circle’s official blog and X post:

Arc will be EVM-compatible and use USDC as its native gas token. This allows users to pay predictable, dollar-denominated transaction fees without holding volatile crypto assets. Other features include a built-in FX engine, deterministic sub-second settlement finality, and opt-in privacy controls.

Circle says Arc will be fully integrated across its platform and remain interoperable with the 24 blockchains already supporting USDC. The blockchain will run on Malachite, a high-performance consensus engine acquired from Informal Systems, and its core software will be released under an open-source license.

Based on their announcement, use cases for Arc range from cross-border payments and stablecoin FX markets to tokenized assets and on-chain credit systems. Circle aims to give developers and institutions a unified foundation to build stablecoin-powered applications at scale.

Arc will enter private testnet in the coming weeks, with a public testnet expected this fall and mainnet beta in 2026. As Circle put it, Arc is intended to be “the home for all forms of digital money and tokenized value,” bridging enterprise needs with the openness of public blockchain infrastructure.

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