John Squire suggests SEC might settle Ripple case by accepting XRP instead of cash.

Delaying XRP ETF approval could help SEC avoid rising prices before settlement deal. June 17 ETF delay might be part of SEC's calculated move, says Squire.

Social media influencer John Squire suggests that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might be planning to settle its lawsuit with Ripple by accepting XRP tokens instead of cash.

This surprising idea is gaining attention in the crypto world as people are discussing the possibility of the SEC accepting crypto as payment for any legal penalties.

However, Squire suggests that if the SEC plans to take payment in XRP, it wouldn't want the price of XRP to go up too early.

If they plan to settle the lawsuit with Ripple using XRP, then they wouldn’t want the price of XRP to go up too early.

But if a spot ETF is approved now, it would buy XRP, and due to the high demand for an ETF, that would send the price of XRP up quickly.

Now, if the SEC plans to accept XRP for the settlement, then they wouldn’t want the price of XRP to go up too early.

As journalist Eleanor Terrett confirmed that the SEC has delayed its decision on Franklin Templeton’s XRP spot ETF until June 17, social media influencer John Squire suggests that this delay is part of a broader strategy by the SEC to keep the price of XRP down.

This follows the news that the SEC has stalled on approving any spot Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs.

According to a theory circulating on X (formerly Twitter), if the SEC accepts XRP as payment for any legal penalties, it would make sense to keep the price lower.

And that's exactly what could happen if a spot ETF is approved right now. Unlike a futures ETF, a spot ETF buys XRP directly.

This demand would send the price soaring, possibly making XRP too expensive for a favorable government settlement. Hence, to keep XRP’s price lower, there has been a delay in the settlement process.

If XRP Is Used As Payment

The theory comes after journalist Eleanor Terrett confirmed that the SEC had delayed its decision on Franklin Templeton’s XRP spot ETF until June 17.

Squire argues that this delay is not a coincidence but part of a broader strategy.

Squire says that if the SEC accepts XRP as payment, it would show they no longer see it as a security and that the U.S. government wouldn't take payment in something not allowed.

However, such a settlement could also lead to regulatory clarity for XRP, encourage institutional investment, and possibly mark the beginning of a new bull run for the token.

XRP Price Outlook

As of now, XRP is trading at $0.438, reflecting a drop of 0.63%, with a market cap of $129.13 billion.

However, the 1-day chart suggests that if XRP goes above $0.40, it could start a strong upward trend toward $0.45 or even $0.49. But if it falls below $0.40, it might trigger more big sell-offs.