Ripple XRP Nears $1 as SEC Crypto Framework Remains Unfinished

XRP trades near $1.00, roughly flat over the past 24 hours. That muted XRP price action matters because it comes days after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a new framework called Regulation Crypto Assets, which would give token issuers a written route to raise money legally and, eventually, exit securities treatment entirely.

TODAY: The SEC proposed new rules, “Regulation Crypto Assets,” that would create a clear and fit-for-purpose framework for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets. pic.twitter.com/SAA2sErMXF

Aug 18, 2026

Here is the tension the market is pricing in right now: XRP has more regulatory clarity than it has ever had, but nothing about its status is permanently settled. The proposal is still just that, a proposal, open for public comment, revision, and possible legal or congressional pushback before it becomes binding.

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The Ripple Fight That Forced the Question

The regulatory vacuum this proposal is meant to fill has a long history, and Ripple Labs sat at the center of it. The SEC sued Ripple in December 2020 under then-Chairman Jay Clayton, alleging the company raised capital through unregistered sales of XRP.