John Deaton, known for his advocacy in the crypto community and his legal battles involving Ripple, is now backed by Ripple itself in his bid for the Massachusetts Republican senatorial primary.
Deaton, a prominent figure in mesothelioma law, has gained attention for his defense of Ripple and his establishment of CryptoLaw, a firm specializing in cryptocurrency legal issues.
Ripple contributed $1 million to the Commonwealth Unity Fund supporting Deaton’s campaign, with lawyer James Murphy also contributing $50,000.
This political action committee (PAC) has already directed $30,000 towards opposing Senator Elizabeth Warren, a noted critic of cryptocurrencies.
Deaton’s advocacy extends beyond his legal practice, as seen in his support for Coinbase against the SEC’s Howey test interpretation. He argues that the SEC’s blanket classification of digital tokens as securities undermines the nuanced nature of blockchain transactions.
In the primary race, Deaton faces competition from blockchain entrepreneur Ian Cain and engineer Robert Antonellis, among others, while Senator Cynthia Lummis supports Cain’s candidacy. Despite the contenders, Warren remains a formidable candidate based on current polling data.
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Bitcoin-focused investment firm Strategy Inc. (formerly MicroStrategy) is facing mounting legal pressure as at least five law firms have filed class-action lawsuits over the company’s $6 billion in unrealized Bitcoin losses.
Digital banking platform SoFi Technologies is making a strong return to the cryptocurrency space, relaunching its crypto trading and blockchain services after stepping away from the sector in late 2023.
Digital assets are gaining ground in corporate finance strategies, as more publicly traded companies embrace cryptocurrencies for treasury diversification.