AI, Crypto Industries Could Have Their Hooks In Lawmakers During Next Congress

One-sixth of the next Congress will have been backed by crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) interests during the 2026 midterm elections.

Super political action committees (PACs) representing AI and crypto spent $127 million across more than 100 primaries in the 2026 cycle, Politico reported. Roughly 90% of the candidates backed by these industries won their primaries.

The crypto industry poured $189 million as of June 30 into candidates backing the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, which was the industry’s biggest legislative priority. Coinbase and Ripple Labs primarily donated to super PACs Fairshake and Protect Progress, which then spent on independent expenditures to support or oppose candidates in the 2026 cycle.

Ripple Labs contributed approximately $49 million in the 2026 election cycle, while Crypto.com spent $38.6 million and Coinbase spent $35.2 million, with the majority of that money going to Fairshake, according to a Public Citizen reported published on June 30.

Fairshake, which is primarily funded by Coinbase and Ripple Labs, received almost $137 million in the 2026 cycle and still had about $127 million on hand. It spent at least $51 million on two affiliated super PACs: Protect Progress and Defend American Jobs.

Fairshake affiliate Protect Progress, which specifically supports Democratic candidates, spent over $26 million on independent expenditures between Jan. 1 and July 31 on mostly pro-crypto Democratic candidates, according to FEC records.

Defend American Jobs, an affiliate of Fairshake, spent over $12 million in independent expenditures for Republican Alabama Rep. Barry Moore, $7.17 million for Republican Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, $4.21 million for Democratic Georgia state Rep. Jasmine Clark, $5.2 million for Democratic Maryland state Rep. Adrian Boafo and $6.47 million for Democratic Texas Rep. Christian Menefee, according to FEC records.

Fairshake spent a total of $10 million in independent expenditures to oppose Democratic Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton during her U.S. Senate campaign, according to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). It also spent over $2.4 million to oppose Democratic Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford’s congressional campaign and over $817,000 in independent expenditures against Democratic Illinois state Rep. Robert James Peters.

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the founders of the Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz, donated $115.3 million, including $50 million to Leading the Future, a major super PAC supporting artificial intelligence (AI), according to The New York Times. They also donated $46.8 million to crypto super PAC Fairshake and $12 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting President Donald Trump.