- John E. Deaton, a prominent cryptocurrency lawyer and XRP advocate, announced his candidacy for the US Senate in Massachusetts for 2026 after losing the 2024 election by 20 points.
- Deaton gained prominence representing XRP holders in the SEC’s case against Ripple and provided extensive commentary on crypto legal matters through his website and YouTube channel.
- The crypto community responded positively to his announcement, with major exchanges like Ripple, Gemini and Kraken having supported his previous campaign.
- Despite the announcement, XRP prices declined 5% in 24 hours, though the broader crypto market also corrected.
John E. Deaton announced he will run again for a seat in the US Senate in 2026. The lawyer who moved to Massachusetts to challenge Senator Elizabeth Warren – an outspoken anti-crypto voice – lost the 2024 general election by 20 points.
Deaton is a household name in crypto, or at least in XRP circles. He represented tens of thousands of XRP holders as Amicus Curiae, or a Friend of the Court, offering support while not being an official party to the proceedings. He played an important role in the case between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple, the company behind XRP.
Deaton not only represented XRP holders but also reported extensively on the case, offering insightful commentary, often through his Crypto Law website and YouTube channel, which have been go-to sources over the years.
Deaton had worked as a personal injury lawyer with a focus on asbestos-related diseases prior to joining the fight for crypto and is reportedly a cancer survivor himself.
Though it is unclear what Deaton’s chances of winning are, during a campaign at a Worcester event, he said, “I’m winning this time.”
Massachusetts is traditionally a blue state, leaning to the Democrats since 1928, with 11 Electoral votes and 61.22% of votes for Kamala Harris in 2024.
During that election, Deaton had the support of crypto-heavyweights like Ripple, Gemini and Kraken, which contributed over US$360k (AU$551.6k) to his campaign.
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The crypto community largely welcomed Deaton’s announcement, with one user on Crypto Twitter offering support from as far away as the UK. Chip from the On The Chain podcast called it an “amazing announcement,” while another user, Moonchaser, said, “Where there is John Deaton, there is hope”, showing the popular lawyer still has a strong following in the community.
What an amazing announcement. Pure passion, conviction, and belief!
The next Senator from Massachusetts is here.
Go get it, John!
— Chip – onthechain.io (@stephenchip) November 11, 2025
Meanwhile, XRP has dropped despite the announcement. It was down just over 5% in the past 24 hours, trading at around US$2.40 (AU$3.67). The decline is in line with a broader market correction, as Bitcoin (BTC) also fell by about 2.5%.
The larger drop in XRP may be linked to a correction after an earlier surge following news that the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has added five spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to its line-up. While this is welcome news, it doesn’t necessarily mean any of them will be approved by the US SEC.
Related: U.S. Senate Unveils Crypto Oversight Draft as Australia Sounds Alarm on Falling Behind
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