Crypto-aligned PACs spend more than $52 million opposing Sherrod Brown

At least two crypto-aligned political action committees (PACs) have spent more than $52 million opposing Sherrod Brown's return to the Senate in Ohio. Fairshake affiliates have increased initially announced expenditures by more than 50% in a race that could be important for control of Congress in 2026. Coinbase and Ripple Labs largely fund Fairshake.

Thursday Federal Election Commission filings show that Fairshake affiliate Defend American Jobs spent $46.6 million on media opposing Brown and supporting Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Defend American Jobs supports Republican candidates in primaries and elections. Fairshake said in September that Fairshake initially planned to spend $30 million opposing Brown's return to the Senate.

The Digital Freedom Fund reported about $3 million in advertising spending this week to oppose Brown and support Husted. The spending brought the group's total media purchases in the Ohio race to more than $5.9 million. Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss created the Digital Freedom Fund Super PAC. Ohio early voting has been underway for 10 days, with just under three weeks until the US election.

Brown addressed the crypto-funded attack ads in a Pod Save America interview aired Friday. Brown said Brown had spent a career challenging Wall Street, large pharmaceutical companies and large oil companies, successfully in many cases. Brown described Husted as the crypto industry's preferred candidate and criticized the industry for spending tens of millions of dollars.

Fairshake's spending has already exceeded the $41 million that Fairshake spent supporting Republican Bernie Moreno and opposing Brown in 2024. Brown was running for Senate reelection at the time. The Democratic lawmaker chaired the Senate Banking Committee and was an outspoken critic of laws and policies favored by the crypto industry while serving in Congress. Fairshake and Husted's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Defend American Jobs also reported spending more than $6.7 million opposing Independent candidate Dan Osborn in Nebraska's Senate race. Osborn is running against Republican Pete Ricketts. Ricketts voted for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act and the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act while in office.

Fairshake has stated an intention to support pro-crypto candidates in 2026 to help fill the next Congress with lawmakers supportive of industry-favored policies. Fairshake reported in January that Fairshake held $193 million in cash ahead of the elections. The Fellowship committee, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, reported spending more than $11 million between August 2025 and August 2026. The Fellowship committee's spending largely funded media supporting House and Senate candidates.