Ripple Locked in Standoff With Judge Blocking SEC Accord (1)

Ripple Labs Inc. and the SEC have limited options to achieve a settlement in a 2020 enforcement suit that’s in limbo after a recent court decision.

Now controlled by a Trump administration appointee, the Securities and Exchange Commission wants to take less money from Ripple and toss an injunction against the blockchain infrastructure company instead of litigating cross-appeals. The problem is that there’s a final judgment in place—and the federal judge who issued it refused to play ball in a recent ruling.

Attorneys are divided on whether that decision is a serious impediment or a mere bump in the road. ...