fairshake

The U.S. primary election season is nearing its end, and the cryptocurrency industry's super political action committee (PAC) has achieved victories in several key districts. Supported by major contributors such as Coinbase, Ripple, and a16z, Fairshake has helped approximately 50 candidates win nominations, including Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss, as well as Republican Senate candidates Barry Moore from Alabama, Andy Barr from Kentucky, Kevin Hern from Oklahoma, and Harriet Hageman from Wyoming. Prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi indicate that these candidates have a winning probability of over 94% in the general election.Fairshake spokesperson Geoff Vetter stated that the organization has reserved $122 million for the fall elections. However, Fairshake also faced its biggest setback in Illinois, spending over $10 million in an attempt to prevent Democrat Juliana Stratton from securing the nomination but was unsuccessful. Additionally, the Fellowship PAC, supported by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, has actually spent about $11 million, far less than the previously claimed $100 million; the Digital Freedom Fund, funded by the Winklevoss brothers with $21 million, has yet to engage in support for specific candidates.

The political action committee Protect Progress PAC, affiliated with the cryptocurrency industry supporter Fairshake, has spent approximately $189,000 on media advertising ahead of the primary election in Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, supporting Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss's re-election campaign. Records from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show that this expenditure is Fairshake's latest move in the 2026 election, following over $130 million spent on advertising and media promotion during the 2024 election cycle.The Massachusetts primary is scheduled to take place on Tuesday local time. Democratic candidate Jason Poulos sent a letter to Auchincloss on August 16, requesting that he "publicly condemn" Protect Progress's involvement. Poulos stated that some of the funds were used to create "AI-generated spam" supporting Auchincloss, and pointed out that the latter has directly accepted $77,500 in donations from cryptocurrency industry sources since 2020. Auchincloss also voted in favor of the Digital Asset Market Structure Act in July 2025, which is currently under Senate review and has not yet been signed into law.In August, Fairshake and its affiliates invested approximately $3.6 million in congressional campaigns in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming. Fairshake reported that it has about $122 million in cash ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Massachusetts will be one of the last states in the U.S. to hold its primary this year, with just over two months remaining until the general election in November.

According to a report by Reuters, American companies have invested a record $517 million in the congressional elections for the House and Senate in 2026 over the 15 months ending in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing the previous high of $461 million during the two-year 2024 election cycle. The cryptocurrency, technology, and online betting industries contributed at least $294 million, becoming a major force in shaping the midterm elections.The Fairshake super PAC, primarily funded by Coinbase, Ripple, and a16z, had $193 million in funding at the beginning of the year and currently has about $130 million remaining; a16z has donated over $81 million to cryptocurrency and AI-related PACs. Elon Musk has invested over $90 million, and Meta has donated $65 million to four super PACs. The AI-related organization Leading the Future has raised $140 million, and Anthropic has donated at least $40 million through dark money non-profit organizations. Online betting companies like DraftKings and FanDuel have donated over $72 million.AdImpact expects total political ad spending for this round of midterm elections to reach a record $11.6 billion. Related industries are making unlimited expenditures through super PACs, affiliated PACs, and dark money non-profit organizations for advertising, voter mobilization, and more, with critics arguing that this amplifies the influence of niche issues such as cryptocurrency regulation, data center energy, and betting regulation.

According to Forbes, in the 2026 U.S. Congressional primary elections, the Democratic PAC "Protect Progress," supported by Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz, is making a large-scale intervention in several Black district primaries. The PAC invested over $4.9 million in Maryland candidate Adrian Boafo, helped Christian Menefee in Texas defeat anti-crypto Congressman Al Green (spending over $5 million), and invested about $4 million in Georgia to support Jasmine Clark's victory.The related campaign advertisements did not mention the cryptocurrency industry background. Journalist Joy Reid characterized this operation as "Blackwashing"—delivering funds from the crypto industry to Black districts under the guise of progressiveness while deliberately hiding the identity of the funders.Analysts point out that the core logic of this network is not based on race, but rather on supporting allies and suppressing critics, with the ultimate goal of influencing the legislative direction of the pending "Digital Asset Market Clarification Act" (CLARITY Act).

According to Axios, American Republicans are increasingly dissatisfied with the flow of political donations in the cryptocurrency industry, demanding that the pro-crypto super PAC Fairshake, which holds about $165 million in funds, clarify its stance and focus on supporting Republican candidates in the 2026 midterm elections.Republicans pointed out that, against the backdrop of significant progress in promoting pro-crypto legislation such as the CLARITY Act, Fairshake has yet to announce specific election investment plans, which is disappointing. The points of contention include:Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown: Fairshake spent over $40 million in 2024 to defeat incumbent Senator Brown, but Brown's attitude towards the cryptocurrency industry has noticeably softened in recent years.New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas: His Stand With Crypto rating rose from "F" to "A" within 8 months, and Republicans initially expected Fairshake to focus on his campaign.In response, Fairshake supporters stated that it is still too early to speak out and emphasized that the PAC is bipartisan in nature, aiming to "reward supporters and punish critics," rather than unconditionally supporting a particular party. Some pro-crypto Republicans (such as the Winklevoss brothers) have established separate independent groups specifically to support Republican candidates.

According to Bloomberg, political groups associated with the cryptocurrency industry have accumulated nearly $180 million in funding reserves ahead of this year's U.S. midterm elections, surpassing the funding levels of some major Republican super PACs.The report states that most of this funding has been carried over from last year, with the vast majority held by Fairshake. Fairshake's main backers include Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Andreessen Horowitz.

Data shows that lobbying groups related to the cryptocurrency industry have invested approximately $271 million to influence the 2026 U.S. elections, mainly for political activities such as advertising. Among them, the super PAC FairShake is one of the main sources of funding, with donors including Coinbase, Ripple, Uniswap Labs, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.The data also indicates that about 40% of the related funds are directed towards Republican candidates, about 3% towards Democratic candidates, and the remainder supports independent candidates. Industry insiders say that as the 2026 U.S. midterm elections approach, lobbying activities in the cryptocurrency industry are expected to continue to increase.

According to The Hill, the cryptocurrency industry is ramping up its spending in preparation for the upcoming U.S. midterm elections after achieving several key victories and accumulating significant funds in 2024.The industry's main super PAC network, Fairshake, has over $193 million in cash on hand as of early 2026 and has announced several targets for this election cycle: including supporting Congressman Barry Moore (Republican-Alabama) in the Alabama Senate race, and pushing to oust Congressman Al Green (Democrat-Texas) in the House elections. After making substantial investments in the last U.S. elections and claiming victories in at least two high-profile campaigns, this has secured some early wins for the industry in Congress and significantly elevated the cryptocurrency sector's standing in Washington.The impact of the cryptocurrency industry in 2024 was most pronounced, as it invested tens of millions of dollars in multiple primaries and competitive elections. According to 2024 campaign finance filings, the Fairshake super PAC network, which includes three affiliated groups, spent nearly $180 million in the last cycle.

The crypto super PAC Fairshake is investing $1.5 million in an advertising campaign aimed at preventing Texas Democratic Congressman Al Green, who has a critical stance on the crypto industry, from winning in the primary election. This expenditure is pledged by Fairshake's affiliate Protect Progress.Al Green has been rated "F" by the pro-crypto organization Stand With Crypto for highlighting the potential risks of cryptocurrency and voting against crypto policy legislation, while his opponent Christian Menefee received an "A" rating. The $1.5 million investment from Fairshake exceeds the over $700,000 in campaign funds that Al Green has currently raised.It is reported that Fairshake has a funding reserve of $193 million and announced this week that it will spend $5 million to support another pro-crypto Republican Congressman Barry Moore.

According to market news, the cryptocurrency political action committee Fairshake, supported by Coinbase, a16z, and Ripple, announced that it has reserved over $193 million in funding for the midterm elections in November 2026.The funding includes a $25 million donation from Coinbase in 2025, as well as recent donations of $25 million and $24 million from Ripple and a16z, respectively. Fairshake stated that as the midterm elections approach, it will continue to oppose politicians with anti-crypto policies and support leaders who advocate for the crypto industry. The organization played a key role during last year's election season, investing tens of millions of dollars to support pro-crypto candidates.

ChainCatcher news, reported by crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the largest super PAC in the U.S. crypto space, Fairshake, and its affiliated organizations are actively preparing for the midterm elections. As of June 30, their report shows they have $141 million in cash on hand. The funding composition includes: $52 million raised in the first half of 2025; $25 million from Coinbase; and a total of $109 million raised since the 2024 election day.Spokesperson Josh Vlasto stated in a statement, "Fairshake is stronger than ever, and we will continue to focus on our mission to build a lasting support force for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey, is considering raising over $100 million to establish an organization similar to "Fairshake PAC," focused on promoting Bitcoin-related policies.He warned that any lawmakers voting against the Bitcoin tax amendment will face "repercussions" in the upcoming midterm elections.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, two Republican candidates supported by the U.S. crypto industry's super PAC Fairshake, Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, have both won in the Florida congressional special election, solidifying the Republican Party's slim majority in the House.Both have publicly supported digital assets and innovation policies, with Fairshake's affiliated organization investing over $1.5 million in advertising support for them.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the political action committee Fairshake in the cryptocurrency industry plans to invest $1.5 million to support the campaigns for two key U.S. House seats in the Florida special election. These two seats are crucial for the Republican Party to maintain its slim majority in the House. One of the vacant seats is related to Matt Gaetz, who was nominated by President Trump for Attorney General but withdrew due to facing criminal charges.According to Fairshake spokesperson Josh Vlasto, the super PAC will invest $1.2 million to support state Senator Randy Fine in his campaign for the seat left by Michael Waltz, who currently serves as Trump's national security advisor. Additionally, Fairshake will invest approximately $345,000 to support state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis in his campaign for the seat left by Gaetz.Both Republican candidates meet Fairshake's main criterion: support for digital assets. The Florida special election will be held on April 1, with early voting starting this weekend. While the Democrats have also invested heavily, these seats have shown a clear tendency toward the Republicans in recent voting.

ChainCatcher news, according to DL News, after the cryptocurrency industry invested $133 million in the 2024 election, the pro-cryptocurrency political action committee Fairshake has raised $78 million for the 2026 midterm elections. Coinbase has announced it will contribute $25 million to Fairshake, while Andreessen Horowitz has also pledged to invest over $23 million in election funding for Fairshake and its affiliated PAC.

ChainCatcher news, according to Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo from Colorado is one of the few losers in this election backed by Fairshake PAC (a super PAC supporting cryptocurrency and bipartisan efforts).Fairshake invested over $2 million in advertising to support Caraveo, but Caraveo conceded to Republican opponent Gabe Evans this afternoon. Now, Republicans are closing in on a majority in the House of Representatives.

ChainCatcher news, a16z partner Chris Dixon posted on social media, "Today we donated over $23 million in additional funding to Fairshake and its affiliated political action committees (PACs) for the 2026 midterm election cycle.Regardless of what happens on election day, we are taking a long-term approach to policy efforts.Our contribution to Fairshake is just one important part of achieving our ultimate goal of establishing clear laws to regulate the crypto industry while protecting consumers and allowing entrepreneurs to innovate with confidence.Many industries come to Washington asking for regulatory rollbacks, while we are here asking for the establishment of regulations."

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Cointelegraph, a Federal Election Commission filing submitted on October 28 shows that the cryptocurrency political action committee Fairshake spent over $760,000 to support the re-election campaign ads of Wisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil.With only a week left until the election on November 5, Fairshake's move is seen as its final push before the election. Steil has served as the Congressman for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District since 2019, supporting the "21st Century Financial Innovation and Technology Act" and opposing the SEC's Accounting Release No. 121.He will face off against Democrat Peter Barca on November 5, with current polls showing Steil leading by 3 percentage points.

ChainCatcher news, as of October 2024, the total political donations from the U.S. crypto industry during the upcoming election cycle have exceeded $190 million, an increase of nearly 13 times compared to 2020.The pro-crypto super PAC Fairshake is one of the major donors, contributing nearly $29 million in September, focusing on campaigns in New York, Nevada, and California. Fairshake has increased donations to both Democratic and Republican candidates, indicating the industry's broad influence across both parties.

ChainCatcher news, according to CNBC, the crypto political action committee Fairshake allocated nearly $29 million in September.According to data released to the public by the Federal Election Commission on Sunday, Fairshake is one of the highest spending organizations across all industries in this election cycle, with nearly $29 million allocated in September. Of this, $20 million was donated to two affiliated PACs, $15 million to the "Defend American Jobs PAC," a single-issue committee focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain policy that supports Republicans; and $5 million to the "Protect Progress PAC," which only supports Democrats.Additionally, Fairshake donated over $1.9 million to Congressman Patrick Ryan (Democrat from New York), over $1.7 million to Congressman Steven Horsford (Democrat from Nevada), and nearly $1 million to Congresswoman Angela Dawn Craig (Democrat from Minnesota). The remaining funds were donated to multiple candidates in Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Iowa, and Arkansas.