American primary contests are drawing to a close as the November general election nears, with digital asset super PACs securing numerous victories, such as this week’s backing of incumbent Jake Auchincloss in Massachusetts.
Fairshake persists as the sector’s campaign finance powerhouse, holding upward of $122 million ready for deployment.
The cryptocurrency sector’s foremost political fund threw its weight behind a safe Democratic contender in the Massachusetts primaries, essentially wrapping up its primary operations while the November general election approaches to determine the composition of the U.S. Congress.
The Fairshake political action committee offered modest backing to U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Democratic incumbent who swept Tuesday evening’s ballot tallies, bringing its total of supported victors to roughly 50.
Although it historically maintains a balanced approach by assisting politicians from both political parties, the super PAC’s influence in Republican races has stood out more prominently this cycle, helping secure Senate primary triumphs for Barry Moore in Alabama, Andy Barr in Kentucky, Kevin Hern in Oklahoma, and Harriet Hageman in Wyoming (stepping in for retiring Senator Cynthia Lummis)—each of whom is heavily favored to win their respective general contests and enter the Senate as supporters of crypto.
Roughly 97% of prognosticators on Polymarket anticipate a victory for Hern, around 96% wager on that exact outcome for Hageman, and about 99% believe Moore will triumph, alongside Kalshi figures indicating Barr hovering near 94%. Those potential incoming senators would take seats in the upper house next year as it continues grappling with significant digital asset legislation, particularly if the chamber fails to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act later this month. Every addition to the Senate could prove remarkably influential.
At the same time, they will likely arrive alongside Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, a Democrat whom Fairshake invested over $10 million trying to unseat in her primary, representing its most substantial expenditure setback to date.
Fairshake and its associated entities—primarily financed by Coinbase, Ripple, and a16z—also assisted in shielding seven dependably crypto-friendly legislators from primary challengers, while backing an extensive roster of fresh pro-industry figures from both political parties slated to enter Congress next year for the first time. Many of these candidates are Democrats, which may prove exceptionally critical if the House of Representatives shifts toward a Democratic majority as anticipated.
Similarly to numerous contests throughout this cycle’s primaries, incumbent Auchincloss faced criticism from his rival regarding his connections to digital assets. The lawmaker had previously challenged the administration concerning its cryptocurrency ties, yet he has routinely cast votes in favor of blockchain bills (excluding the prior year’s Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act), leaving him with a modest ‘C’ rating from the Coinbase-supported advocacy coalition Stand With Crypto.
“With dozens of wins in House and Senate races across the country, and $122 million ready for the fall, we’re not slowing down heading into November,” Fairshake spokesman Geoff Vetter stated recently.
The primaries have not entirely concluded, with a small group of races still pending in jurisdictions including New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Louisiana. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of party nominations are locked in for the general vote on November 3.
Although alternative crypto-aligned super PACs generated attention earlier in the election calendar, their primary spending was thoroughly overshadowed by Fairshake.
The Fellowship PAC, for example, is an initiative backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital that previously asserted it would deploy $100 million, though it ultimately secured only about $11 million, largely originating from Cantor. The super PAC maintained ties to Tether from its inception, even though U.S. electoral committees cannot accept foreign funding. Instead, it relies on the financial institution managing Tether’s domestic reserves, and it is administered by a Tether executive.
Fellowship endorsed a group of predominantly Republicans alongside three Democrats, including Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. Virtually the entirety of its expenditures flowed to an emerging political consultancy co-established by Bo Hines, Donald Trump’s former crypto consultant who currently heads Tether’s U.S. division.
It remains uncertain whether Fellowship will mount a secondary effort during the general elections.
An alternate super PAC, the Digital Freedom Fund, received support from Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, featuring $21 million originating from their Winklevoss Capital Fund, alongside an extra $1 million contributed by Kraken parent company Payward. The siblings had suggested the vehicle would direct resources toward conservative contenders endorsing Trump’s digital asset initiatives, though it has not yet participated in candidate backing.
Originally published at https://www.coindesk.com/news-analysis/2026/09/02/crypto-made-new-friends-in-u-s-primaries-but-focus-now-shifts-to-general-election.
