Crypto Industry Tops Corporate Donors with $189M in 2026

The cryptocurrency industry has become the largest corporate political donor in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, spending $189 million so far, according to a new report from the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. This spending surpasses the $170 million the sector contributed during the 2024 election cycle and accounts for more than one-third of all corporate political contributions tracked for the current elections.

The report, released on June 30, 2026, highlights the industry's rapid ascent as a political force. Combined contributions from the crypto, artificial intelligence, big tech, and online betting sectors total approximately $294 million for the midterms, with crypto alone representing roughly 64 percent of that combined figure. The industry now outpaces traditional heavyweight sectors like pharmaceuticals and oil and gas in political spending.

A major vehicle for this spending is the super PAC Fairshake, which has received $82 million in donations this cycle and is backed by industry leaders including Coinbase, Ripple Labs, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and Foris DAX, affiliated with Crypto.com. Fairshake and its affiliated organizations are...