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From childhood dreams of becoming a rapper to serving in the United States Marines, to now being \u201cthe pro-XRP lawyer\u201d on Crypto Twitter, John Deaton has had an eventful life.<\/strong><\/p>\n While his dream of becoming a rapper didn\u2019t work out, John Deaton\u2019s 260,000 Twitter following would make many up-and-coming rappers envious.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was about 10 years before Eminem came out \u2014 I didn\u2019t have that level of school,\u201d Deaton says of his music biz dreams.<\/p>\n He has become a legend among the XRP army over the past couple of years, fighting in their corner after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission sued Ripple, alleging it had issued unregistered securities.<\/p>\n Deaton has a strong belief that the \u201cinnocent holders\u201d of XRP deserve a knight in shining armor standing up for them in the same way Ripple has a squad of lawyers fighting for the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI was butting heads with the Ripple lawyers\u2026 with what they should be doing to protect individuals, but the Ripple lawyers are protecting Garlinghouse and other executives at Ripple.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Deaton put out a call on Twitter and gathered 76,000 signatures from XRP holders worldwide to let Deaton represent the XRP community in court.<\/p>\n \u201cThey all joined on a form wanting to be heard in the lawsuit, essentially, saying, \u2018Yes, you can speak and advocate for me,\u2019\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSeventy-six thousand people, 143 countries; from Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Zimbabwe, and of the 76,000, 52% are from the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n I recently started a petition for International #XRPHolders requesting the Financial Oversight Committees demand an investigation. In 2 weeks we already have 20K signatures. <\/p>\n Before anyone attempts to label me and my 65K friends conspiracy theorists, read the Grundfest letter.<\/p>\n \u2014 John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) February 2, 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Deaton\u2019s fame grew as he offered an informed legal take on what can often be opaque and confusing legal maneuvering in the court case. It certainly helps that he\u2019s usually pretty optimistic about Ripple\u2019s chances of beating the charges. His follower count has shot up exponentially ever since he was granted permission by U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres to write a brief on behalf of XRP holders in March 2021, collecting anywhere between 3,000 to 20,000 each month since then.<\/p>\n Deaton\u2019s feed about the case helped him break the 250,000-follower milestone on Twitter \u2014 and it\u2019s clear from the coverage that he generates he\u2019s followed by many crypto journalists, too.<\/p>\n Judge Torres allowed me to file a motion to intervene. She could\u2019ve said no right out the gate. Many experienced lawyers said she would deny my request. She didn\u2019t. She then granted us amicus status and ignored the SEC\u2019s personal attacks on me. She wanted to hear our perspective. https:\/\/t.co\/jk48iitbLR<\/p>\n \u2014 John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) March 9, 2023<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cA lot of my content is about the war on crypto,\u201d Deaton says, while also sprinkling his spicy thoughts on government regulation and throwing shade at the SEC from time to time, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n But of course, Deaton is best known for his aggressive support for XRP, to the extent that many people think he\u2019s actually representing XRP. Funny thing is, he\u2019s more of a Bitcoin and Ethereum guy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started off, a lot of people called me the \u2018XRP attorney.\u2019 The reality is, XRP was a small investment for me; I was 10 times more into Bitcoin and four times more into Ethereum.\u201d<\/p>\n The SEC spat the dummy in a 2021 court filing regarding Deaton\u2019s mock cross-examination of then-SEC Chairman Jay Clayton in a YouTube video.<\/p>\n Deaton sliced and diced Clayton\u2019s various interviews about crypto regulations and Ripple, hilariously inserting clips of himself as the interviewer, grilling Clayton with a series of questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The SEC cried to the judge and dobbed on Deaton for teasing Clayton online.<\/p>\n The filing claimed the video made \u201cmany inflammatory statements, including about supposed drug use, and that Deaton might have to walk over and [profanity] out of Chairman Clayton.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Deaton remembered how Ripple boss Brad Garlinghouse tried to alpha-dog him at a crypto conference. Deaton says Garlinghouse has a unique quality, the kind of charisma that made everyone want to be around him and shake his hand. However, Deaton walked right past him and \u201cwasn\u2019t going to talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Garlinghouse enthusiastically yelled out, \u201cJohn, I\u2019m Brad Garlinghouse\u201d and they shook hands.<\/p>\n Garlinghouse cheekily followed up with \u201cno pictures\u201d and Deaton replied, \u201cHell, I\u2019m not even going to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Deaton says the last thing he would want floating around the internet is photos of him and Garlinghouse, as he is acting independently for the investors, and people already think that he\u2019s working \u201con behalf of Ripple.\u201d<\/p>\n Deaton has taken on Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin over his public comments about XRP.<\/p>\n Buterin was decidedly unimpressed when Ripple tried to drag Ethereum into the securities case and called Bitcoin and Ether \u201cthe two Chinese-controlled virtual currencies.\u201d He tweeted that XRP was a \u201cshitcoin\u201d and that it had \u201clost their right to protection\u201d as a result.\u00a0<\/p>\n Deaton stood up for XRP holders in a long thread calling Buterin\u2019s tweet a \u201cshameful and disgusting comment.\u201d<\/p>\n Dear @VitalikButerin:<\/p>\n The more I think about your shameful and disgusting comment👇 and considering you haven\u2019t deleted or clarified it, I realize you didn\u2019t misspeak.<\/p>\n This was an immature hateful comment directed at a community of innocent digital asset holders and NOT @Ripple https:\/\/t.co\/AowoxZ9vx3<\/p>\n \u2014 John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) August 18, 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care about Ripple, in the same way, I don\u2019t care about Vitalik [Buterin], I don\u2019t own Ethereum because I like Vitalik, I own it because I like Ethereum.\u201d<\/p>\n Deaton signed off the series of tweets directed at Buterin with a little bit of advice for the \u201cyoung man.\u201d<\/p>\n So with that said young man, on behalf of 72K #XRPHolders, I say be a good 🦆 and quack off.<\/p>\n \u2014 John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) August 18, 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cI follow the big names, but I take it as a compliment that [Binance founder] CZ follows me, as well as [Kraken founder] Jesse Powell, Brad Garlinghouse, amongst other big names,\u201d Deaton notes.<\/p>\n On several occasions, Deaton has been seen quoting Powell\u2019s thoughts on XRP.<\/p>\n Like Jesse Powell said: #XRP was one asset out of 50. Most lawyers would\u2019ve said: Why take the unnecessary risk? If Ripple wins or settles, we re-list. If we don\u2019t delist and the SEC wins it might come looking to collect a fine for not delisting once they said it was a security.<\/p>\n \u2014 John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) March 26, 2023<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Given his popularity on Crypto Twitter, Deaton has come to expect some encounters with wacky characters.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think Crypto Twitter, you have to get past the crazies, but there are certifiable people on there; it has been major for the whole XRP case.\u201d<\/p>\n Deaton tips that new legislation to clean up digital asset regulation in the U.S. is unlikely to happen soon.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the people out there saying that regulation will come from Congress, that isn\u2019t going to happen within the next two years,\u201d Deaton says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
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What led to Twitter fame?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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What to expect on his Twitter<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Strong beef: SEC<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Avoiding beef: Brad Garlinghouse<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Minor beef: Vitalik Buterin<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Twitter likes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The future?<\/strong><\/h2>\n