A report from U.Today claims that former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler offered a personal apology to Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse during a high-level White House briefing on digital asset policy in late 2024. This alleged incident, if true, marks a significant shift in the ongoing legal battle between Ripple Labs and the SEC, which began in December 2020 over the classification of XRP as an unregistered security. The apology, reportedly made as the meeting concluded, has not been confirmed by either the SEC or Ripple. However, it has sparked intense speculation within financial and legal circles. The SEC's lawsuit against Ripple has been a pivotal case in U.S. cryptocurrency regulation, with a mixed ruling in July 2023 that distinguished between Ripple's programmatic and institutional sales of XRP. The alleged apology could signal a change in regulatory attitudes and has been seen as a potential acknowledgment of the case's complexity and its impact on the industry.