Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton launches bid against Elizabeth Warren

After teasing a Senate bid last week, John Deaton launched a website over the weekend

article-image

Senator Elizabeth Warren | Evan El-Amin/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Pro-crypto lawyer John Deaton officially launched his bid against Senator Elizabeth Warren for the Massachusetts Senate seat. 

A website promoting his campaign went live over the weekend. Deaton will run as a Republican against Warren. He also launched a Facebook page for his campaign, alleging that Warren “gets nothing done” for Massachusetts.

Deaton, who founded and hosts CryptoLaw US, is a known pro-Ripple lawyer. CryptoLaw’s website includes blog posts and a news library focused on legal and regulatory updates in crypto.

He publicly called out Warren and Gary Gensler’s Securities and Exchange Commission for their treatment of the crypto industry, while also weighing in on the SEC’s cases against Ripple, Binance and Coinbase.

Read more: Pro-crypto lawyer considers Senate bid against Elizabeth Warren

Deaton filed a motion in 2021 to intervene on behalf of thousands of XRP holders in the SEC’s case against Ripple, arguing that their interests were not being represented in the case. Deaton also owned XRP.

Deaton teased a potential senate bid back in December when he asked his 300,000 X followers if he should buy a home in Massachusetts and run for senate. 

“I’m not suggesting I would win, but how I would love to confront her,” he added at the time.

Warren is a vocal critic of crypto, previously claiming that crypto is widely used by terrorist organizations in the Middle East for funding. The claim has since been debunked by both blockchain analytics provider Elliptic and, just last week, the Treasury Department itself. 

She also called out the SEC for approving a slew of spot bitcoin ETFs in January. She said that the regulatory agency was “wrong on the law and wrong on the policy.”

Warren’s currently pushing to tighten anti-money laundering rules concerning crypto. She reintroduced her Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Bill in October. 19 Senators support the bill, though it’s also faced criticism for potentially stifling innovation in the industry.

Deaton told the Boston Globe that, despite his crypto past, he’s “not running on crypto.”


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

The derivatives giant will extend futures and options access to round-the-clock trading in early 2026

by Blockworks /
article-image

Global fiber network goes live as SEC clears 2Z token for utility use

by Blockworks /
article-image

The SPAC transaction positions Avalanche Treasury Co. as a Nasdaq-listed vehicle for institutional AVAX exposure by 2026

by Blockworks /
article-image

The collaboration brings regulated money market fund exposure to Polygon, with custody provided by Standard Chartered

by Blockworks /
article-image

FG Nexus teams with Securitize to bring its Nasdaq-listed equity onchain, offering tokenized stock trading through Ethereum

by Blockworks /
article-image

Sponsored

Taiko launches binding onchain governance and appoints three directors with expertise in global regulation, business strategy and blockchain tech

by Sponsored /