Ripple Rejects SEC Request for Financial Documents

Ripple’s legal team has formally rejected the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) request for additional financial documents, arguing that the demands are untimely and unjustifiable [2]. On January 19, defense counsel pushed back against the regulator's bid for audited financial statements and specific sales data, contending that such information is irrelevant to the ongoing legal dispute [2].

Key takeaways

• Ripple rejected the SEC's request for 2022 and 2023 audited financial statements on January 19 [2].
• The company argued that the request for post-compliant discovery is "burdensome" and "irrelevant" [2].
• Ripple warned that granting the request could prolong proceedings by necessitating a new fact-discovery period [2].
• The trial between Ripple and the SEC is currently scheduled to commence in April [2].

Ripple argues SEC requests are untimely

The SEC had sought Ripple’s audited financial statements for 2022 and 2023, along with post-compliant contracts concerning the sale or transfer of XRP to non-employee counterparties [2]. Additionally, the regulator requested information regarding the proceeds from XRP Institutional Sales tied to specific complaint contracts [2]. In response, Ripple characterized the request as "irrelevant," noting that both parties had previously agreed that post-compliant discoveries were unnecessary [2].

Ripple’s counsel contended that the regulatory body cannot unilaterally extend its interrogatories in the case [2]. They argued that the SEC failed to justify each request sufficiently and warned that complying would force a reevaluation of post-compliant conduct [2]. This, Ripple stated, would necessitate a prolonged fact-discovery period and potentially delay the resolution of the case [2]. The defense team specifically argued that the SEC’s request for "irrelevant and burdensome post-complaint discovery" should be denied, particularly given that the close of fact discovery has already passed [2].

Why it matters

This development highlights the intensifying friction between Ripple and regulators as the case moves toward a scheduled trial in April [2]. While Ripple previously secured a landmark ruling that its public XRP sales were not securities, the current dispute over financial records suggests the legal battle is far from over [2]. The company has warned that allowing the SEC's discovery requests could significantly extend the timeline of the lawsuit [2]. Market reaction to the filing was muted, with XRP experiencing a 5% decline over the past week before rebounding to $0.5484 [2].