John Deaton Sparks Debate on Leadership in the Crypto Industry

John Deaton, a well-known lawyer in the XRP community, has once again praised Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. This time, Deaton compared Garlinghouse to one of the greatest tech visionaries of our time, Steve Jobs. In a recent X post , Deaton shared his opinion that the title of “Steve Jobs of crypto” should go to either Brad Garlinghouse or Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. His post was a direct response to a question about who in the crypto world could fit that role. Though he did not give a detailed reason for this view, it is clear that Deaton sees both men as bold leaders who have helped shape the crypto industry. Deaton and Garlinghouse Built Strong Ties Through Legal Battles John Deaton and Brad Garlinghouse’s relationship dates back to the high-profile lawsuit between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which came to an end in 2025. Back in 2021, Deaton filed a legal brief in support of XRP holders, standing up for their interests during the case. Garlinghouse has also supported Deaton beyond the courtroom. When Deaton ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, the Ripple CEO endorsed him in his campaign against Senator Elizabeth Warren. Although Deaton did not win the race , the endorsement showed their strong connection. Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, also backed Deaton, showing the mutual respect among these industry leaders. XRP Lawyers Names the Visionaries Behind Crypto’s Growth Both Garlinghouse and Armstrong have played big roles in pushing for clear crypto regulations . Their companies, Ripple and Coinbase, have been involved in major legal fights with regulators. These challenges have not stopped them. Instead, both CEOs have continued to fight for the future of crypto and expand their companies. This commitment to innovation and growth might be why Deaton sees them as visionary figures, similar to how Steve Jobs transformed the tech world. Later, Deaton mentioned another name: Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood. He admitted that Tenev should also be in the conversation about crypto’s most visionary leaders. His comment came after a crypto user named Dave shared doubts about Ripple’s product-market fit. In an X post, Dave claimed that Ripple still has not built a strong product for either consumers or institutions. He believes the company has many valuable tools but lacks a clear vision to bring them together. Ripple’s Growing Presence in Global Payments Despite such criticism, Ripple continues to grow. The company is now focused on improving global remittances, a market worth over $685 billion. Its new stablecoin, RLUSD, is built to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more reliably. This move shows that Ripple is working to become a global player in financial services. This is a step that reflects the kind of bold thinking associated with leaders like Steve Jobs. The post John Deaton Sparks Debate on Leadership in the Crypto Industry appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .