Crypto PAC Spending Against Brown Tops $52 Million in Ohio

Crypto-aligned political action committees have spent more than $52 million to oppose former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and support Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio’s 2026 Senate race, making it a major focus of the industry’s election spending.

Defend American Jobs, a Fairshake affiliate, accounts for $46.6 million in media spending against Brown and in support of Husted. That is more than 50% above Fairshake’s initial $30 million plan for the campaign, announced in September. The $30 million figure was a planned amount, not spending already completed. Fairshake is largely funded by Coinbase and Ripple Labs.

Defend American Jobs’ spending has risen from the $11.4 million it disclosed in September, detailed in an earlier account of the Ohio campaign.

Digital Freedom Fund, a super PAC established by Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, added about $3 million in ad spending this week. Its media purchases in Ohio now exceed $5.9 million, with ads opposing Brown and supporting Husted.

Fairshake has sought to support candidates who favor policies backed by the crypto industry. Brown chaired the Senate Banking Committee and challenged industry-favored legislation and policies while in Congress. Husted, a Republican, is defending the seat after Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to replace JD Vance, who left to become vice president.

Brown addressed the spending in an interview Friday, saying, “I guess it’s a perfect storm, so they spend literally tens and tens of millions of dollars.”

The Ohio campaign builds on crypto-aligned spending in the state’s 2024 Senate race. Fairshake spent $41 million opposing Brown’s reelection bid and supporting Republican Bernie Moreno. Moreno won 50.2% of the vote to Brown’s 46.4%, while outside groups spent more than $300 million in the contest.

The Ohio effort is part of broader midterm activity by crypto-aligned groups. Defend American Jobs also spent more than $6.7 million opposing independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska’s Senate race. The Fellowship committee spent more than $11 million from August 2025 to August 2026, largely on media supporting House and Senate candidates.

Early voting is underway in Ohio, with the U.S. election less than three weeks away. The Senate race will determine whether Brown returns to the chamber.