Pro-crypto lawyer John Deaton takes on Senator Warren in showdown over corporate greed

Crypto advocate John E. Deaton has challenged Senator Elizabeth Warren on her stance on “greedy corporations” and insurance companies.

Deaton, who is looking to unseat Warren on a Republican ticket in elections to be held later in the year, was responding to a post on X by the incumbent senator regarding price gouging by U.S. companies.

In her post, Warren decried how big companies had pushed up food prices, making huge profits at the expense of struggling Americans. The senator was drumming up support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, whom she said would take tough measures against price gouging. 

However, Deaton took the opportunity to remind the senator that he already had a 20-year history of taking corporations head-on, including some that were Warren’s former clients.

The lawyer was referring to Travelers Insurance, which Warren’s firm had defended in a case involving lung cancer and mesothelioma victims. He also suggested he was open to having further discussions with Sen. Warren on the subject.

Differing views on crypto

Deaton’s broadside is the latest in his ongoing battle with Warren as he challenges the former law professor for the Massachusetts senatorial position. Their battle has piqued the crypto community’s interest, given their diverging views on the sector. 

While Deaton is strongly pro-crypto, Warren has been heavily critical of the industry. She has expressed concerns about several aspects of crypto, including its potential to become a national security risk as well as predatory practices among crypto companies. The senator has also consistently advocated for stricter regulations that would bring crypto in line with traditional finance.

On his part, Deaton gained fame after taking on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its lawsuit against Ripple (XRP). 

In addition, the prominent attorney founded CryptoLaw,  a platform providing crypto holders with insights and updates on digital asset regulatory developments in the United States. The senatorial hopeful has been at loggerheads with Sen. Warren and SEC Chair Gary Gensler regarding their approach to the matter. 

However, despite his deep involvement with digital assets, the Detroit native, who moved to Massachusetts in early 2024, says he is not running on crypto. Rather, he has reiterated his desire to directly challenge Warren’s stance on various issues.

At the time of going to press, Sen. Warren had not responded to Denton. The crypto lawyer still needs to win his party primaries due in just over a week, before he can actually take on Warren.