- Well-known crypto advocate and attorney, John Deaton, has secured the Republican party’s nomination to contest the Massachusetts senate seat against the incumbent Democratic Senator, and noted crypto-sceptic, Elizabeth Warren.
- After securing the nomination, Deaton played down the importance of crypto to his campaign, insisting he’ll be focussed on growing jobs and fighting inflation in the state.
- Senator Warren released a statement suggesting Deaton is a stooge for the crypto industry, with his nomination being strongly financially supported by industry heavyweights.
John Deaton, the well-known crypto advocate and attorney, last night won the Republican party’s nomination as senate candidate for Massachusetts. Deaton won the race comfortably, securing 64.9% of the vote, ahead of his main opponents Ian Cain and Robert Antonellis who collectively received 35% of votes.
Deaton’s profile in the crypto community extends from his role in advocating for retail investors in the legal cases the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has pursued against Ripple and Coinbase. However, Deaton says cryptocurrency won’t be a major part of his campaign for the senate.
Instead, he says he’ll be focussing on improving the lives of his constituents by growing jobs and reining in inflation. Deaton will battle it out against prominent anti-crypto senator, Elizabeth Warren, for a place in the US Senate, which will be decided in November at the same time as the presidential election.
Related: Crypto-Lawyer and Massachusetts Candidate for Senate John Deaton Holds 80% of Wealth in BTC
Campaign Won’t Be About Crypto, Says Deaton
Despite being among the most notable crypto advocates in the US and reportedly holding about 80% of his personal wealth in Bitcoin, Deaton insists crypto won’t be a major part of his campaign. However, given that his Democrat opponent, Senator Warren, is one of the most outspoken critics of crypto in all of US politics, it seems inevitable that crypto will be a hot topic.
Speaking to Fox Business about his campaign, Deaton said Warren is the candidate focussed on crypto, not him. He said issues like immigration and tax policy are more important to most voters than cryptocurrency:
She’s the crypto candidate, not me…She’s built her re-election campaign on building an anti-crypto army, even introducing legislation that would basically ban bitcoin. We’ve got serious issues, more pressing than crypto to talk about.
John Deaton, Republican Senate Candidate for Massachusetts Deaton also claimed he doesn’t consider himself pro-crypto, but rather pro-freedom — saying he doesn’t think the government should be telling people what kind of assets they can own:
People ask me if I’m the pro-crypto candidate, and I respond by saying ‘No, I’m the pro-freedom candidate’…I don’t believe the government should be in the business of telling people what they can and can’t own. When I make it to the Senate, I will be an advocate for smart, tailored crypto policy, but I will be fighting just as hard for the other issues that matter to the people of Massachusetts.
John Deaton, Republican Senate Candidate for Massachusetts Despite insisting he’s not a single-issue, pro-crypto guy, Deaton’s campaign has received a lot of financial support from the crypto industry, suggesting they very much see him as their guy.
Several crypto industry heavyweights, including the Winklevoss twins and Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, have made personal donations to Deaton, while Ripple donated US$1 million to a super PAC supporting his campaign.
Warren Responds to Deaton Nomination
Senator Elizabeth Warren released a statement shortly after Deaton secured the nomination suggesting he’s simply a crypto-obsessed stooge who’d been hand-picked by crypto millionaires to help them grow their fortunes:
A small handful of crypto billionaires and corporate special interests poured more than $2 million into a super PAC to handpick their preferred Republican candidate, and now Massachusetts voters have a clear choice that could determine control of the Senate.
Elizabeth Warren, Senator for Massachusetts Warren has agreed to debate Deaton twice in October to allow voters to better understand their stances on policy areas such as abortion and the funding of Medicare and Social Security. Deaton had argued for five debates to allow voters to make an informed decision.
Digital assets policy has become increasingly politically important as more Americans have pinned their hopes for financial freedom on the growth of the digital assets industry. Donald Trump, in particular, has recognised the electoral opportunity this represents. For months Trump has been pushing a narrative that he is the candidate for crypto and the Republicans are the party for crypto, boosting his popularity among single-issue crypto voters.
Related: Donald Trump to Soon Reveal Plan to Make US The ‘Crypto Capital of The Planet’
Despite Deaton’s claim that the campaign won’t be about crypto, the battle for the Massachusetts senate seat could become a focal point in the political battle for the future of crypto.
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