John Deatons crypto backers help outraise Warren in Senate race

Crypto executives from Ripple, Gemini and Kraken were top bankrollers of John Deatons Senate campaign last quarter.

Pro-crypto lawyer John Deaton has outraised Senator Elizabeth Warren over the first quarter of this year for his bid to seize her Senate spot — bankrolling $1.36 million compared to Warrens $1.09 million.

A whose who of crypto backers make up Deatons top donors, including Ripple executives Chris Larsen and Brad Garlinghouse, Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci, Cardano and Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson and Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell.

In total, Deatons contributors have given him nearly $360,700 for Q1 2024, plus the $1 million he loaned to his campaign, preliminary filings to the United States Federal Election Commission (FEC) show.

Deatons top Senate campaign donors between January and March 2024. Source: FEC

In comparison, Warren reported raising just under $1.09 million — all of it from donors alone.

Deaton rose to prominence defending XRP (XRP) holders‘ interests in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s legal fight against Ripple.

He announced his bid for Warrens Senate seat representing Massachusetts in February, running as a Republican against the 11-year Democratic Party incumbent.

Warren has long campaigned against crypto and introduced bills she claims are to “level the playing field” between crypto and traditional financial markets, which her detractors claim would drive innovation and investment out of the U.S.

Among Deaton‘s largest individual contributors were Ripple’s Larsen and Garlinghouse, Scaramucci and the Winklevoss twins.

Each made the maximum donation of $6,600 — the max of $3,300 each to the primary and general election bids.

Cardano‘s Hoskinson, Kraken’s Powell and Casa wallet founder Jameson Lopp each threw in $3,300 to Deatons primary campaign challenge, as did Ripple legal chief Stuart Alderoty.

The U.S. Senate elections are set to be held on Nov. 5 with 34 of the 100 total seats up for contestation alongside all 435 seats in the House alongside the presidency — with it likely that former President Donald Trump will again face off with President Joe Biden.