Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has just received another major compliment from one of his most vocal allies. Crypto attorney John Deaton, known for backing XRP holders during Ripple’s legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has called Garlinghouse a top candidate for the title of “crypto’s Steve Jobs.”
The statement came in response to a social media question asking who in the crypto industry could be compared to the late Apple founder. Deaton named both Garlinghouse and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong as leading figures worthy of that label.
He didn’t explain his criteria, but the implication is clear: both men have shown strong leadership in tough legal environments and have pushed for more clarity in crypto regulation.
Legal Ties And Political Backing Run Deep
Deaton’s support for Garlinghouse goes back to the early days of the Ripple lawsuit. In 2021, he filed an amicus brief on behalf of XRP holders, defending the community’s interests in court.
That legal fight helped solidify their alliance, and it’s continued since. Garlinghouse, in turn, publicly backed Deaton’s Senate run against Senator Elizabeth Warren.
I think it comes down to either @brian_armstrong or @bgarlinghouse. https://t.co/j2XE37Ar40
— John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) July 12, 2025
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, also threw his support behind Deaton’s political campaign. It’s worth noting that both Garlinghouse and Armstrong have squared off against the SEC in high-profile cases and are now working to influence crypto policy through both business and political efforts.
Their companies also contributed to US President Donald Trump’s recent campaign, a sign of their growing involvement in Washington.
Robinhood CEO Also Mentioned In The Conversation
In a follow-up post, Deaton added a third name to his shortlist: Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood. He admitted that Tenev should have been included from the start.
That addition came after a crypto user named Dave criticized Deaton’s original pick. According to Dave, Ripple hasn’t delivered a strong product-market fit and lacks the clear direction needed to compete with top fintech players.
Dave claimed that although Ripple has promising pieces, it hasn’t yet connected them. His remarks repeated old doubts regarding Ripple’s business model, even as the company keeps moving ahead with its payment services.
Ripple Advances With RLUSD And Cross-Border Payments
Ripple is not stopped by the criticism, though. The company is busy expanding its services. The company recently put out plans for RLUSD, a stablecoin designed to enhance worldwide remittances.
The market size for that is approximately $685 billion, and Ripple believes this is a big chance for it to move further into international payments.
Featured image from Quartr, chart from TradingView
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