Reported by: ZACHARY WARMBRODT

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is branding herself as the scourge of crypto. And she’s not doing it alone.

The progressive Massachusetts Democrat is starting to recruit conservative Senate Republicans to her anti-crypto cause and getting some early positive vibes from bank lobbyists, who also want to rein in digital asset startups.

Crypto advocates are resisting Warren’s push, and some dismiss her as an outlier. But her budding partnership with GOP lawmakers reflects broader forces that are poised to unite progressives and conservatives, watchdog groups and bankers, who share common cause in wanting to derail the unfettered growth of crypto.

Warren is zeroing in on national security concerns as her focus for potential crypto legislation, even as she raises red flags about a host of issues in the space, from consumer protections to environmental impact.

Warren said in an interview that regulators have tools to address consumer fraud but that “money laundering is in a different space.”

“The current legal structure essentially holds up a giant sign over crypto that says, money laundering done here,” she said.

It’s a concern that resonates across the aisle. Warren said she tried to recruit Marshall as a bill co-sponsor in December after watching his questions at a Senate hearing, where he raised concerns about crypto’s use in ransomware cyberattacks and drug trafficking. Warren has also cited sanctions evasion as a risk.

Read full report: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/14/elizabeth-warren-anti-crypto-ftx-00082624