{
  "id": 5663313,
  "title": "Crypto Money Still Matters for the Midterms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/crypto-money-still-matters-for-the-midterms",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-04T22:36:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/09/crypto-money-still-matters-for-the-midterms/688537/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The crypto industry, characterized by its cyclical nature of booms and busts, is currently experiencing a period of relative calm. Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, is currently valued at approximately two-thirds of its worth from last fall. While only about half of Americans have ever used or invested in crypto, the industry remains active politically. As of today, the combined value of all digital currencies still exceeds $2.7 trillion, and crypto companies have spent a total of $206 million on the 2026 midterm elections, outpacing any other corporate sector, including AI. Fairshake, the industry's leading super PAC, has amassed significant funds and a reputation for supporting candidates from both parties. Despite a few significant losses, 50 of the 54 candidates backed by Fairshake have won their races so far. Crypto has shifted its focus from the public spotlight to backing politicians with an industry-friendly agenda. Although crypto may not be as central to the public conversation as before, it continues to find ways to leverage its influence. In fact, political candidates have been mentioning the word \"crypto\" more frequently this year than in the past five years, with a majority of these candidates being anti-crypto.",
  "summary": "The industry is a surprising top spender in the races.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}