Crypto voters could tip close US midterm races as turnout campaign intensifies

Crypto voters could provide the deciding margin in closely contested US midterm races. Mobilizing supporters through local chapters and volunteers, alongside campaign spending, could help expand congressional support for crypto legislation.

In an October 22 interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Mason Leno, executive director of Stand with Crypto, said the organization aims to turn crypto and Bitcoin supporters into an influential voting bloc. Its campaign seeks to elect endorsed candidates and increase turnout to strengthen support for the sector in the next Congress.

Stand with Crypto has more than 3.1 million advocates, 50 state chapters and 47 college chapters, according to Leno. He said its final 12-day campaign combines large-scale digital advertising with volunteer canvassing and door knocking to encourage participation and support its 45 endorsed candidates. Its Voter Hub also grades candidates on their crypto positions.

Leno said that constituency could matter most where small voting margins determine the outcome. Some supporters vote primarily on crypto or Bitcoin, while many have historically been less likely to vote, he said. With thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of the organization's advocates in competitive races, candidates who engage those communities could reach voters capable of changing the result.

A change in congressional control would still leave room for bipartisan legislation, Leno argued. Citing an estimated 67 million Americans who own crypto, he said both parties have committed supporters of the industry. He pointed to votes on the Clarity Act and Genius Act as evidence that crypto can provide common ground despite political polarization.

Leno also cited changes in the organization's lawmaker scorecard. At its launch, roughly 90 lawmakers held an A rating; three years later, he said, it counted 338 pro-crypto lawmakers. He argued that mobilizing voters could produce the most pro-crypto Congress yet and help keep the issue a legislative priority regardless of which party controls the chambers.

For skeptical lawmakers, Leno emphasized education and sustained constituent organizing. State and college chapters help supporters press their representatives to hear their views, he said. Demonstrating that crypto voters can help elect a candidate or remove an incumbent would give lawmakers a stronger incentive to engage with the industry, he argued.

Asked about campaign funding, Leno said he could not speak for Fairshake, a separate organization, and emphasized voter numbers as his own priority. He said 100 volunteers each making 200 connected calls could influence a race through direct outreach. Regardless of spending, he argued, electoral accountability ultimately rests with voters, making turnout and encouraging others to participate central to the campaign.