XRP Lawyer John Deaton Looks Back on His Bold Prediction as Token Approaches All-Time High

Pro-XRP attorney John Deaton, who is also amicus counsel in the Ripple case representing 75,000 XRP holders, shared some insights on a recent post. He highlighted his bold prediction regarding XRP’s legal status during the Ripple lawsuit as the token approaches an all-time high.

Deaton pointed out that during the XRP lawsuit, he received over 1,000 emails from concerned individuals. They were asking him if they should sell XRP due to fears that Judge Analisa Torres might classify it as a security. Many of those reaching out had their life savings or retirement funds tied up in XRP.

According to Deaton, he couldn’t provide specific financial advice. However, he consistently told these individuals that he was confident that Judge Torres would rule that XRP itself was not a security. He also noted that even if Judge Torres determined that Ripple’s sales of XRP in the early years (2012–2015) constituted the sale of unregistered securities, XRP itself would not be classified as a security.

Deaton even went on to make this prediction on Fox Business News, stating that the SEC would lose the case, although Ripple might not get a complete victory.

Remarkably, Deaton’s prediction materialized with Ripple’s partial victory in the lawsuit. In July 2023, Judge Torres ruled that XRP itself is not a security, which led to a surge in XRP’s price to $0.93 shortly afterward.

However, the court also found that Ripple’s initial sales of XRP to institutions were unregistered securities, giving the SEC a partial win in the case.

Later on, in August 2024, Judge Torres handed down a final ruling, fining Ripple $125 million for the violations related to those earlier sales. The ruling also allowed both parties the opportunity to file appeals.

It’s important to note that the lawsuit had a significant impact on XRP’s price performance over the past five years, with many exchanges deciding to delist the token due to the legal uncertainty.

Meanwhile, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, who spearheaded the case against Ripple, announced his resignation in November 2024 after the presidential election results were announced, with Donald Trump being the incoming President.

News of his departure led to a surge in the price of XRP, which soared by 491% from $0.49 to $2.87 between November and December before retracing slightly.

As of January 2025, XRP is now trading above $3 for the first time since 2018, marking a seven-year high.