Ripple Labs has settled its ongoing lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), agreeing to pay a reduced fine of $50 million. This amount is a decrease from the originally imposed $125 million fine, with $75 million being refunded to Ripple. The settlement includes Ripple dropping its cross-appeal after the SEC withdrew its initial appeal, effectively ending the four-year legal battle that began in December 2020. In a related development, the SEC has closed its investigations into several cryptocurrency firms, including Immutable, Kraken, Consensys, Cumberland, and Crypto.com, with no enforcement actions taken. The SEC's decision marks a notable shift in its regulatory approach toward the crypto industry, indicating a softer stance as it seeks to reform and renew its policies.