Pro-XRP attorney John Deaton has officially launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, challenging Democratic incumbent Ed Markey in the 2026 election. Deaton, running as a Republican, made the announcement at an event in Worcester, Massachusetts, on November 11, 2025, marking his second attempt after losing to Senator Elizabeth Warren by nearly 20 points in the 2024 race.
In his previous campaign, Deaton gained national attention as a pro-crypto candidate opposing Warren, a noted critic of the industry, and received over $360,000 in donations from crypto executives at firms like Ripple, Gemini, and Kraken. However, his new campaign website does not prominently feature crypto policy on its "Issues" page, though it highlights his advocacy for XRP holders and accepts cryptocurrency donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and meme coins such as BONK, Dogecoin, Dogwifhat, and Peanut the Squirrel.
Deaton has expressed confidence in his chances against Markey, citing name recognition from his 2024 run, but faces an uphill battle in a predominantly Democratic state. He is counting on support from crypto-focused political action committees like Fairshake, which did not back him in the previous election. Markey, who voted against the GENIUS stablecoin bill and has criticized crypto mining's energy use, represents a less prominent crypto adversary than Warren, but the industry's reduced urgency under the pro-crypto Trump administration may affect Deaton's appeal.
BTC
ETH
SOL
RLUSD
MUTM