von Few cryptocurrencies polarize as strongly as XRP. The cryptocurrency, issued by Ripple Labs, divides the crypto community. The fact that the American securities regulator SEC is now charging the company with a lawsuit raises the question of the legitimacy of the company and its cryptocurrency more than ever. XRP investors in particular are wondering whether the cryptocurrency, which is often referred to as “Bankencoin”, can still have a future. An assessment.
For quite a few crypto enthusiasts who value decentralization, XRP was and is a highly centralized project. Some critics even describe Ripple Labs – including its crypto currency – as a scam . The fact that the degree of centralization is very high cannot be dismissed out of hand. Around two thirds of all XRPs are tied to Ripple Labs and its boards.
What happens on the blockchain and in Ripple’s transactions is therefore in the hands of a few people and their personal interests
Already in an earlier investigation by BitMEX research team we came to the resultthat XRP is not comparable to other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. The supposedly decentralized consensus mechanism with its nodes effectively depends on the Ripple.com servers.
The US securities regulator SEC now indicted Ripple Labs on December 22ndbecause XRP is a security that has been issued without authorization. If the SEC lawsuit is successful, Ripple Labs and the two board members, Christian Larson and Brad Garlinghouse, would have to answer to the court for an unauthorized IPO amounting to $ 1.3 billion.
Here, too, the starting point is the high degree of centralization of XRP, which, according to the SEC’s classification, contributes significantly to its classification as a security. While Bitcoin or Ether, for example, do not fall under the American Securities Act due to their decentralized design.
How serious are the charges against Ripple Labs?
To put it unequivocally: The situation is more than serious for Ripple Labs, as well as the aforementioned board members and the price value of XRP. The SEC has been targeting Ripple Labs since the XRP issue in 2013. The current indictment is well prepared. It is absolutely safe to assume that the SEC knows very well what it is doing and how likely it is that it will get away with its charges. That XRP representatives are there, a petition Submitting it to the White House is unlikely to change that much.
This can also be seen in the less objective attempts at explanationby Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who suspects a campaign against him and his company. He warns that taking action against Ripple Labs would be downright anti-American and would benefit China. However, the combative rhetoric is unlikely to impress the SEC. Even in the unlikely event that Ripple Labs and the board members get away with a black eye, the damage is enormous.
No stock market, no liquidity, no investors
In view of the accusation that XRP is a security (security) under American law, the crypto exchanges are also reacting. More and more of them enter the delisting of XRP known . Including the largest and most important ones such as Coinbase, Binance US or Bittrex. After all, they are not licensed to list securities.
Even if the necessity of delisting only affects American jurisdiction, strictly speaking, the impact is still existential. The value of a cryptocurrency that can only be used in some regions is massively jeopardized in view of the business case of XRP – enabling international payments. In addition, decisions by the SEC send a strong international signal.
In the course of the delistings, the liquidation of XRP is likely to increase further. The hope for the high institutional sums of money that are currently causing the price fireworks for Bitcoin is now off the table. Investment companies are also likely to refrain from traditionally securitized XRP financial products such as funds or certificates for the time being.
