Ramaswamy Goes Quiet on Crypto in Ohio Governor Race Despite Deep Industry Ties

Vivek Ramaswamy spent his 2024 presidential run praising Bitcoin and mining operations while opposing central bank digital currencies. As a candidate for Ohio governor, he has not abandoned those views, but he no longer puts them at the center of his message.

Early in the campaign he still spoke at the Bitcoin for America conference in March and Bitcoin 2025 in May, and his website accepts crypto donations. By September 2026, just weeks before the vote, his public comments on digital assets had faded. He also had not responded to a Sept. 17 announcement from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose that the state will accept crypto for fees and services. His campaign did not reply to repeated interview requests.

Ramaswamy Crypto Holdings and Strive Stake

He still holds 5,693,897 shares in Strive, the asset manager he co-founded in 2022, valued at more than $170 million as of Sept. 26. Strive reported 23,156 BTC, worth about $2 billion, as of Aug. 28, and in September 2025 announced a Bitcoin Bond ETF. Ramaswamy also reported holding over $1,000 in BTC and ETH through a Coinbase wallet.

Crypto Donations and V-PAC Funding

World Liberty Financial co-founders Chase Herro, Zak Folkman and Zachary Witkoff each gave the maximum $16,615. His super PAC, V-PAC: Victors, Not Victims, received $20 million from Jeff Yass, $6 million from NYDIG founder Ross Stevens, $5 million from Elon Musk and $5,000 from the Bitcoin Voter Project.

Why Ohio Voters Shape the Crypto Message

Ohio voters may be one reason for the shift. A May 2024 Digital Currency Group poll found 79% had never held crypto and 77% viewed it negatively. Data centers have also become a heated issue, with Ohio hosting 166 of them as of April, the most in the US, along with miners such as Cipher Mining, Bitdeer and BIT Mining. A majority of residents oppose local data centers. Ramaswamy promised free electricity and lower property taxes for communities hosting one, while Democrat Amy Acton wants data centers and investors to cover all gas, water and power costs.

Ohio Governor Race Polls and Crypto PAC Spending

Acton led by one point in RealClearPolling’s average as of Sept. 22, and Kalshi gave her a 66% chance of winning, with Polymarket showing similar odds. Crypto money is also flowing into the Senate race, where Fairshake PAC has pledged $30 million against Sherrod Brown in his contest with Jon Husted and already reported $11 million in ad buys.