Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has simply obtained one other main praise from one in every of his most vocal allies. Crypto lawyer John Deaton, recognized for backing XRP holders throughout Ripple’s authorized battle with the US Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), has referred to as Garlinghouse a prime candidate for the title of “crypto’s Steve Jobs.”
The assertion got here in response to a social media query asking who within the crypto business could possibly be in comparison with the late Apple founder. Deaton named each Garlinghouse and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong as main figures worthy of that label.
He didn’t clarify his standards, however the implication is evident: each males have proven sturdy management in robust authorized environments and have pushed for extra readability in crypto regulation.
Authorized Ties And Political Backing Run Deep
Deaton’s assist for Garlinghouse goes again to the early days of the Ripple lawsuit. In 2021, he filed an amicus temporary on behalf of XRP holders, defending the neighborhood’s pursuits in courtroom.
That authorized battle helped solidify their alliance, and it’s continued since. Garlinghouse, in flip, publicly backed Deaton’s Senate run in opposition to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
I believe it comes right down to both @brian_armstrong or @bgarlinghouse. https://t.co/j2XE37Ar40
— John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) July 12, 2025
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, additionally threw his assist behind Deaton’s political marketing campaign. It’s price noting that each Garlinghouse and Armstrong have squared off in opposition to the SEC in high-profile instances and at the moment are working to affect crypto coverage by means of each enterprise and political efforts.
Their firms additionally contributed to US President Donald Trump’s current marketing campaign, an indication of their rising involvement in Washington.
Robinhood CEO Additionally Talked about In The Dialog
In a follow-up put up, Deaton added a 3rd identify to his shortlist: Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood. He admitted that Tenev ought to have been included from the beginning.
That addition got here after a crypto consumer named Dave criticized Deaton’s authentic decide. Based on Dave, Ripple hasn’t delivered a robust product-market match and lacks the clear course wanted to compete with prime fintech gamers.
Dave claimed that though Ripple has promising items, it hasn’t but linked them. His remarks repeated outdated doubts relating to Ripple’s enterprise mannequin, at the same time as the corporate retains shifting forward with its fee companies.
Ripple Advances With RLUSD And Cross-Border Funds
Ripple will not be stopped by the criticism, although. The corporate is busy increasing its companies. The corporate lately put out plans for RLUSD, a stablecoin designed to boost worldwide remittances.
The market dimension for that’s roughly $685 billion, and Ripple believes it is a huge likelihood for it to maneuver additional into worldwide funds.
Featured picture from Quartr, chart from TradingView

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