Crypto PAC Drops $11M on Ads Opposing Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate Race

A cryptocurrency-aligned political action committee (PAC) has spent over $11 million on ads opposing Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown in his Senate race. The Defend American Jobs PAC, backed by Coinbase and Ripple Labs through their affiliated group Fairshake, reported the expenditure to the Federal Election Commission.

The $11.4 million ad buy is part of a larger effort by Fairshake to spend $30 million in opposition to Brown's re-election bid. Brown, who previously chaired the Senate Banking Committee, has been critical of pro-crypto legislation and policies in Congress.

Brown told Cointelegraph in an August 2025 statement: 'Cryptocurrency is a part of America’s economy, and becoming more commonplace in Ohio and throughout the country. Just like what guides all my work, my goal is to make sure that as more people use cryptocurrency, it expands opportunity and lifts up Ohioans and they are not put at risk.'

The crypto-aligned PAC has shown significant spending power in Ohio politics, with about $41 million spent on opposing Brown and supporting his 2024 Republican opponent Bernie Moreno. Moreno ultimately won the election with 50.2% of the vote to Brown's 46.4%.