Skip to content
Welcome, thoughtbot's Giant Robots listeners!Start here
Fairshake
AI-generated illustration
OrganisationUS

Fairshake

Crypto industry's dominant 2026 Super PAC; $134.6M FEC-filed vs $193M claimed.

Fairshake's network is spending in Ohio again: Defend American Jobs, which the Washington Times ties to it, reported $11.46m on the Senate race between 24 and 30 September, backing Jon Husted and attacking Sherrod Brown.

Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

How much crypto money is actually in the 2026 race, and how much is just a claimed number?

Timeline for Fairshake

View full timeline →

Background

Fairshake is the crypto industry's largest Super PAC and the anchor of a network of affiliated groups that spend in both parties' races. Its aim is to elect candidates WHO will pass favourable federal crypto rules, and it treats Senate seats on the committees that write those rules as its priority targets.

The network's affiliates often run adverts on jobs or the economy rather than crypto. In Ohio, Defend American Jobs fought Sherrod Brown in 2024 and returned against him in 2026.

Fairshake sits within a wider crypto spending push that also includes Fellowship PAC, a Tether-linked rival whose first filing showed $11m against a claimed $100m. Both groups' gaps between claimed and filed money leave voters unable to see WHO is funding a large share of the industry's campaign.

Key Issues
Campaign money

Fairshake claims more than it files

Fairshake's public war chest and its federal filings have not matched. On 10 April it held $171.4m in cash on hand, yet filed receipts for the cycle came to $134m against a headline figure of $193m. The $59m difference most likely reflects pledges or crypto assets not yet converted into reportable contributions, which means that money has no publicly named donor.

The network's money surfaced in Ohio in late September. Defend American Jobs led all outside groups there with $11.46m in a week, split between Husted and Brown, with adverts that never mention crypto. The same group spent heavily against Brown in 2024, when he lost his seat.

Crypto legislation

The CLARITY Act is Fairshake's goal

Fairshake's spending is aimed at one outcome: a federal market-structure law for crypto. By 10 April the industry had committed $272m to the 2026 midterms to secure the CLARITY Act, with Fairshake's war chest the largest single pool.

That target slipped the same day. Democratic senators added an ethics clause barring officials and their families from profiting from crypto while in office, aimed at Trump family holdings in World Liberty Financial. Senate Banking markup moved to late April with a May floor Deadline; missing it pushes the bill past the midterms and leaves Fairshake's money without the law it was raised to win.

Common Questions
Why is there a gap between what Fairshake claims it has raised and its FEC filings?
The $58.4 million gap between Fairshake's claimed $193 million and its $134.6 million in FEC-filed receipts appears to reflect pledges and in-kind commitments not yet formally reportable under federal election rules.Source: FEC filings
Who are the biggest donors to Fairshake?
Andreessen Horowitz contributed $47.6 million in December 2025 and Ripple contributed $23 million nine days before a key Senate committee markup of the CLARITY Act in January 2026.Source: FEC filings
How much has Fairshake raised for the 2026 midterms?
Fairshake holds $171.4 million in cash on hand per FEC filings and claims $193 million in its war chest, though FEC-filed receipts of $134.6 million are $58.4 million below the claimed figure.Source: FEC filings
Is Fairshake donations and crypto bill timing a coincidence?
FEC filing timestamps show Ripple donated $23M nine days before a CLARITY Act committee markup, and Andreessen Horowitz donated $47.6M five weeks before another markup. Critics say the timing is not coincidental.Source: FEC filings
What races is the crypto PAC Fairshake targeting in 2026?
Fairshake operates as a bipartisan vehicle targeting competitive Senate and House races to elect crypto-friendly candidates on both sides of the aisle.Source: event
Is Fairshake a Republican or Democrat super PAC?
Fairshake operates as a bipartisan vehicle, targeting both Republican and Democratic races to elect crypto-friendly candidates regardless of party affiliation.