Crypto PACs Pour Over $52 Million Into Ohio Senate Race Against Sherrod Brown

Political groups tied to the crypto industry have sharply raised their spending against former lawmaker Sherrod Brown, who is trying to return to the Senate. Thursday FEC filings show Defend American Jobs, an affiliate of Fairshake that is largely funded by Coinbase and Ripple Labs, spent $46.6 million on ads opposing Brown and backing Republican incumbent Jon Husted. In September the group had said it planned to spend $30 million, so the total is up by more than 50%. The Digital Freedom Fund, a super PAC created by Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, added about $3 million this week, lifting its Ohio total to more than $5.9 million.

Brown Responds to the Attack Ads

Brown said on Pod Save America that he has spent his career taking on Wall Street, big pharma and big oil. He called Husted the industry’s guy and said they know he would hold Husted accountable, which explains why they are spending tens of millions of dollars. With under three weeks to the election, early voting in Ohio has been running for 10 days.

Fairshake’s Wider Midterm Strategy

Fairshake’s Ohio spending has already passed the $41 million it spent in 2024 backing Republican Bernie Moreno against Brown, who then chaired the Senate Banking Committee and often challenged industry-friendly policies. Defend American Jobs has also put more than $6.7 million into opposing Independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska, where he faces Republican Pete Ricketts, a supporter of the Clarity Act and the GENIUS Act.

Cash Reserves and Other Crypto-Aligned Groups

Fairshake said in January it held $193 million in cash ahead of the elections, aiming to fill Congress with lawmakers friendly to crypto. The Fellowship committee, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, reported spending over $11 million between August 2025 and August 2026, mostly on media supporting House and Senate candidates.