Judge Dismisses Defamation Suit Against XRP Influencer Over Fabricated Claims

A federal judge in Washington has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by XRP-focused influencer Jake Claver against content creator Zach Rector.

The ruling centered on three videos Rector posted alleging misconduct tied to Claver's Digital Ascension Group and Digital Wealth Partners. According to court documents, the videos drew on Claver's own admissions in a separate New York lawsuit filed by payments processor Verivend Inc., in which Claver acknowledged fabricating emails, wire transfer confirmations, and a screenshot of a 'Verivend wallet dashboard' showing a false balance of over $1 million.

Court filings show Claver also admitted to impersonating Verivend employees on multiple occasions to generate fake email threads. Judge Kymberly K. Evanson granted Rector's motion under Washington's Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, the state's anti-SLAPP law designed to protect speech on matters of public concern.

The court dismissed all of Claver's claims, including defamation, tortious interference, conspiracy, and breach of contract, without prejudice. Rector is entitled to recover his attorneys' fees and litigation costs, which may be reimbursed by Claver within 21 days.