XRP News Today: XRP Falls Below $3.50 as SEC Meeting Yields No Vote; BTC Dips to $116k

Ripple Case: SEC Silent on Appeal Withdrawal

Hopes of the SEC voting to drop its appeal in the SEC vs. Ripple case on Thursday’s closed meeting faded on Friday, July 18. The SEC’s silence weighed on sentiment, with XRP pulling back from a July 18 all-time high of $3.6629 to sub-$3.50 levels.

Speculation about an SEC vote had intensified in the lead-up to Thursday’s closed meeting. However, former SEC lawyer Marc Fagel tempered expectations of a vote so soon after Judge Torres rejected the joint motion for an indicative ruling on settlement terms. He stated:

“Reminder: The SEC holds a closed meeting every Thursday. The agenda is confidential, and everyone claiming to know what’s on it is making it up. There’s no doubt the SEC will be voting to dismiss the Ripple appeal in the coming weeks, but nobody outside the SEC knows exactly when.”

The next SEC closed meeting is slated for July 24, four weeks since Judge Torres’ ruling. This may be enough time for the vote to be included on the agenda.

Fagel previously suggested it may take several weeks or more, spotlighting the upcoming closed meeting. He stated:

“SEC likely still needs to vote to dismiss appeal. Then the parties need to submit papers dismissing their respective appeals, after which the district court’s order goes into effect. Could take several weeks or more, but could possibly be expedited. No set timeframe.”

SEC Appeal Withdrawal and XRP-Spot ETFs

Legal experts, including former SEC officials, expect the SEC to drop the appeal. An official vote could expedite approval of XRP-spot ETFs. 21Shares, Bitwise, Canary Capital, CoinShares, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale (rule change), ProShares, Volatility Shares, and WisdomTree have filed for XRP-spot ETFs.

However, one notable absentee is BlackRock (BLK), potentially crucial for the success of an XRP-spot ETF market. The ETF issuer met with the SEC Crypto Task Force in May to address ETF approval standards. Since then, the SEC announced it is working toward a framework to streamline the filing and approval process.

BlackRock could potentially file an application for an iShares XRP Trust after the US Court of Appeals grants motions to drop the SEC and Ripple’s appeals and the agency releases its standards for crypto ETFs.

For context, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has seen net inflows of $56.48 billion.

ETF Store President Nate Geraci remarked on BlackRock’s dominance in the crypto-spot ETF space, stating:

“iShares Bitcoin ETF leads ‘all’ 4,300+ ETFs in inflows over past week… iShares Ethereum ETF is #5.”

Crypto America host and journalist Eleanor Terrett commented on the planned framework, stating:

“The SEC is in the early stages of creating a generic listing standard for token-based ETFs in coordination with exchanges. The thinking, I’m told, is that if a token meets the criteria, issuers could skip the 19b-4 process, file an S-1, wait 75 days, and the exchange could list it. This approach could save both issuers and the SEC a lot of paperwork and back-and-forth on comments.”

XRP Price Outlook: SEC Appeal and ETF Headlines

XRP fell 2.04% on Friday, July 18, partially reversing Thursday’s 14.69% breakout to close at $3.4153. The token underperformed the broader crypto market, which dropped 0.42% to a total market cap of $3.79 trillion.

XRP’s near-term price outlook depends on the SEC’s appeal vote, US XRP-spot ETF-related news, and progress of the CLARITY Act. On Thursday, the House passed the bill, sending it to the Senate for consideration.

A breakout above the July 18 all-time high of $3.6629 could pave the way to the $4 level. A sustained move break above $4 may allow bulls to target the $5 mark. Conversely, a break below $3.3 could expose sub-$3 levels.

Explore our full XRP forecast here for key breakout zones and timing insights.

Bitcoin Dips on New US Tariff Threat

While XRP retreated on the SEC’s silence, bitcoin (BTC) dipped as investors reacted to US trade headlines. President Trump is reportedly pushing for tariffs of between 15 and 20% in any trade deal with the EU. Higher US tariffs on EU goods could influence US inflation and potentially delay Fed rate cuts.

US BTC-Spot ETF Market Inflow Streak at Risk

The US BTC-spot ETF market extended its inflow streak to eleven sessions on July 17, with net inflows of $522.6 million. However, trade developments and potentially some profit-taking impacted flow trends for Friday, July 18. According to Farside Investors, key flows for July 18 included:

• Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) had net outflows of $81.3 million.
• ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) reported net outflows of $33.6 million.
• Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) saw net outflows of $17.9 million.

With BlackRock’s (BLK) iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO) flow data pending, total US BTC-spot ETF outflows reached $133.3 million. Strong inflows into IBIT would extend the total inflow streak to twelve sessions.

BTC Price Outlook: Trade Headlines and Spot ETF Flows in Focus

BTC fell 1.03% on July 18, reversing Thursday’s 0.39% gain to close at $117,878.

The near-term price trajectory depends on several key factors. These include legislative developments, trade headlines, and spot ETF flow trends.

Potential scenarios:

• Bearish Scenario: Legislation setbacks, tariff hikes, hawkish Fed cues, and ETF outflows. A combination of these may push BTC toward $115,000, potentially exposing the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).
• Bullish Scenario: Crypto bill progression, easing trade friction, dovish Fed signals, and ETF inflows. Under these scenarios, BTC could target the all-time high of $122,057.

What to Watch

Investors should closely track the key drivers, which could determine whether XRP and BTC can hit new record highs. These include:

• Ripple case updates: SEC appeal plans.
• Legislative developments: The CLARITY Act’s progress on Capitol Hill.
• Fed guidance: Hawkish or dovish signals.
• ETF market flows: Flow trends crucial for BTC’s supply-demand balance.

See where analysts expect XRP and BTC to head as legal and political risks evolve.