Key highlights:
- Stand With Crypto endorsed bipartisan Senate candidates in Ohio (Jon Husted), Iowa (Ashley Hinson), and New Hampshire (Chris Pappas), plus House candidates
- Crypto political spending hit a record $206M in the 2026 cycle, with Fairshake preparing $30M+ to spend in Ohio and $8M spent lobbying specifically for the CLARITY Act
- Despite the CLARITY Act’s failure, industry groups continue engaging the SEC and CFTC directly, with Stand With Crypto pressuring lawmakers ahead of the midterms
Stand With Crypto has endorsed its first Senate candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, shifting its focus to the ballot box after the Senate failed to advance the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act.
The Coinbase-backed crypto advocacy group announced a bipartisan slate of endorsements on Wednesday, naming candidates in Ohio, Iowa, and New Hampshire as it steps up efforts to elect lawmakers who support its crypto policy agenda.
The announcement comes two weeks after the Senate
Fairshake, the industry’s leading super PAC network, remains central to that spending. Its affiliated committees have supported candidates from both major parties while directing money toward congressional races where digital asset regulation is a major issue.
In Ohio, Fairshake has prepared at least $30 million to oppose Brown, according to the supplied election spending figures.
The planned spending follows the group’s involvement in the state’s 2024 Senate race, when crypto-backed groups spent more than $40 million supporting Republican Bernie Moreno against Brown. Moreno won that election and later joined the Senate Banking Committee.
Stand With Crypto operates differently from super PACs. Rather than making direct campaign contributions, it focuses on voter mobilization, candidate endorsements, and its online Voter Hub, which grades lawmakers according to their crypto policy positions.
However, candidates viewed favorably by the group can also attract financial support from industry-aligned political committees.
CLARITY Act defeat despite $8M spent, what comes next for crypto regulation?
The electoral campaign follows an extensive lobbying effort in Washington as crypto companies spend more than $13 million on federal lobbying during the first half of 2026.
Around $8 million was linked to efforts surrounding the CLARITY Act, including spending by Coinbase, Kraken, and industry trade groups.
Despite the bill’s failure, industry representatives have argued that negotiations brought digital asset market structure legislation closer to passage than previous efforts.
Lobbying groups are also continuing to engage with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as regulators develop policies affecting the sector.
The immediate question is whether the industry’s growing political presence can translate into congressional support for another attempt at market structure legislation.
The November 3 midterms will determine the makeup of Congress, while the outcome of individual races could shape future negotiations over crypto regulation.
Source:: Stand With Crypto Names 2026 Senate Picks After CLARITY Act Collapse