Fairshake, the crypto industry’s top political spender, has ramped up its efforts to defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, pouring over $40 million into the race. Recent filings show the group spent $5.2 million on media opposing Brown, followed by another $1.95 million, bringing its total against the Democratic senator to $46.66 million. Fairshake also backed Brown’s Republican opponent, Jon Husted, making the Ohio contest the most expensive target for crypto in the 2026 midterms.
The spending surge highlights the industry’s determination to keep Brown, a vocal crypto skeptic, out of the Senate Banking Committee. Brown previously stalled market-structure legislation before losing his seat in 2024, a defeat Fairshake helped secure with a $40 million campaign. The group, funded by Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz, entered September with $120 million in cash and plans to spend over $100 million across House and Senate races.
Fairshake recently expanded its focus to the House, endorsing 32 incumbents, 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats, who support the Clarity Act, a crypto-friendly bill passed in July 2025. The PAC committed $6 million to six of these candidates, including Republicans French Hill, Bill Huizenga, and Bryan Steil, and Democrats Janelle Bynum, Steven Horsford, and Derek Tran.
The aggressive spending reflects the crypto industry’s push to reshape Congress after the Clarity Act stalled in the Senate. Fairshake’s efforts run alongside Stand With Crypto, another advocacy group backed by Coinbase, which has also rolled out midterm endorsements.