Top crypto group to pour millions into bipartisan slate of House races
after key legislation stalls
[October 06, 2026] By
JOEY CAPPELLETTI
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top cryptocurrency campaign organization is
unveiling a bipartisan list of House members that it will support in the
November midterms, as one of the biggest-spending interest groups looks
to flex its muscles after a mixed legislative year in Congress.
The list, provided first to The Associated Press on Monday, includes 19
Republicans and 13 Democrats, with six members getting $1 million in
spending each. All 32 supported legislation that was a top priority for
the industry.
The bipartisan slate pales in contrast, however, to Fairshake’s biggest
general election investment so far. The group announced plans in
September to spend nearly $30 million against Democratic Senate
candidate Sherrod Brown in Ohio, who is facing Republican Sen. Jon
Husted in one of the most competitive races of the cycle.
Brown previously faced nearly $40 million in cryptocurrency spending in
2024, when he lost to Republican Bernie Moreno. He had avoided becoming
a major target this year until last month, when the industry moved
against him after Senate Democrats helped block the CLARITY Act, which
would have achieved the industry's goal of establishing a federal
regulatory framework for digital assets.
Fairshake would not say whether it plans to spend more in House or
Senate races before November. The group and its affiliated PACs reported
about $120 million in cash on hand at the end of August.
Big spending could shape battleground House races
Three Republicans and three Democrats will get the most help from
Fairshake, including several members facing competitive reelection races
where the outside spending could provide a significant boost.
On the Democratic side, Fairshake plans to support Reps. Janelle Bynum
of Oregon, Steven Horsford of Nevada and Derek Tran of California with
$1 million each.
On the Republican side, Reps. French Hill of Arkansas, Bryan Steil of
Wisconsin and Bill Huizenga of Michigan will receive the same level of
support.
Fairshake did not disclose how much it is spending on the other 26 House
candidates it is supporting.
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 The organization is emphasizing the
bipartisan nature of its spending as the cryptocurrency industry
looks to the next Congress to revive legislation that stalled this
year.
Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for Fairshake, pointed to the group’s
investments in primaries and special elections this year, when it
and its affiliated groups spent $40 million supporting 29 Democrats
and $31 million supporting 28 Republicans.
“Fairshake has always been and always will be an
issue-focused organization. We back pro-crypto candidates who
support American innovation in both parties,” Vetter said. “We’ve
won 53 of the 57 races we engaged in this cycle and look forward to
continuing to build on the largest pro-crypto caucus in American
history.”
More Senate spending remains an open question
Senate Democrats in September blocked legislation long in the works
that aimed to give the industry more regulatory certainty and divide
oversight between federal regulators. Opponents raised concerns that
it did not adequately address President Donald Trump’s crypto
investments. Trump took in more than $1.4 billion in crypto-related
income last year.
Soon after the vote, Fairshake pledged nearly $30 million against
Brown.
While the group also targeted Brown in 2024, its Senate spending
that year crossed party lines. Fairshake’s network also spent about
$10 million each supporting Democratic Senate candidates Ruben
Gallego in Arizona and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan.
Gallego called the decision to target Brown “dumb politics.”
“You still need 60 votes after this election if you want to pass
market structure,” Gallego said, referring to the Senate’s threshold
for advancing most legislation. “Now the negotiations will just get
harder and the deal is going to be not as good as they had right
before they decided to kill it.”
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