The SEC/Ripple case is causing quite a stir in the cryptocurrency world. On July 13th, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP tokens sold directly to institutional investors are considered securities and should have been registered with the SEC. But here’s the twist: XRP tokens acquired by non-institutional investors from secondary sales through exchanges are not classified as securities. 

So, what does this mean for Ripple Labs and XRP? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Ripple Labs isn’t exactly popping champagne bottles because the judge found them guilty of selling unregistered securities through closed funding rounds. However, XRP can still be sold to retail buyers, and some exchanges have already started relisting it. In fact, the news caused an enormous spike in the coin’s price and volume.

One exchange that’s particularly affected by this ruling is Coinbase. The SEC sued Coinbase back in June, alleging that they were dealing with unregistered securities. But the Ripple decision has thrown a wrench in the SEC’s argument. You see, coins listed on Coinbase can’t be considered securities based on the language of the ruling. Phew, that’s good news for Coinbase and crypto buyers!

Now, keep an eye on how the coin distribution trend behaves in the coming months. With XRP back on Coinbase, it’s bound to attract the attention of many US buyers who were previously cautious. We might just witness a spike in exchange volume there.

But of course, there are always risks in the crypto world. The SEC might appeal the decision, and profit takers could swoop in and dampen the party for some of these altcoins. Crypto winter has been rough, but it seems like the industry is slowly heading towards crypto spring. Still, it’s hard to predict what the future holds. So, while the ruling is a major development and provides some clarity, it’s wise to stay cautious and see how things unfold.

So, there you have it – a major regulatory event that’s sure to have ripple effects (pun intended!) in the crypto market.