Crypto PACs escalate spending against Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate race

At least two political action committees (PACs) related to the crypto industry have significantly increased their spending, pouring over $52 million into opposing Senator Sherrod Brown's return to the Senate. Affiliates of the Fairshake PAC, largely funded by Coinbase and Ripple Labs, have boosted their initial expenditure by more than 50%, according to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

Defend American Jobs, a Fairshake-affiliated group supporting Republican candidates, allocated $46.6 million to media campaigns opposing Brown and backing incumbent Jon Husted in Ohio's Senate race for 2026. This spending surge is attributed to the crypto industry's support for Republican Jon Husted. Brown addressed the attack ads, emphasizing his past success in taking on powerful entities like Wall Street, pharma, and oil.

With a mere three weeks left until the U.S. election, early voting has already commenced in Ohio for 10 days. The Digital Freedom Fund, a Super PAC founded by Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, reported spending around $3 million on ads opposing Brown and supporting Husted, bringing the group's total media spending in the Ohio race to over $5.9 million.

Fairshake's spending has already surpassed its 2024 efforts, when the group spent $41 million opposing Brown in his re-election bid.