Crypto super PAC spending in Ohio’s Senate race tops $46 million as Fairshake affiliate targets Sherrod Brown

Summary

A Federal Election Commission filing received Oct. 15 shows that Defend American Jobs, an affiliate of the crypto-industry super PAC Fairshake, reported a $5.2 million media buy opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio’s Senate race, followed days later by a roughly $1.95 million buy, according to the filing and Decrypt.

The filing’s running year-to-date total for the Ohio Senate race reached about $46.67 million, a figure that rises with both the ads against Brown and those supporting his Republican opponent, Sen. Jon Husted; Cointelegraph described the roughly $46.6 million as spending to oppose Brown and support Husted, while Decrypt described it as spending to oppose Brown.

Both outlets said the total far exceeds the $30 million Fairshake had initially signaled it would spend against Brown, a longtime crypto skeptic who chaired the Senate Banking Committee before losing his seat in 2024, when Fairshake spent about $40 million (Decrypt) or $41 million (Cointelegraph) on that race.

Cointelegraph reported that the Digital Freedom Fund, a super PAC created by Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, reported about $3 million more in ads this week against Brown and for Husted, bringing its Ohio total above $5.9 million and the two groups’ combined spending to more than $52 million.

Brown said in a Pod Save America interview that “Jon Husted is their boy” and that the industry is spending “literally tens and tens of millions of dollars,” Cointelegraph reported; neither Fairshake nor Husted’s campaign immediately responded to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.

Key facts

• The same FEC filing lists a $6.71 million media buy by Defend American Jobs opposing independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska’s Senate race, plus media buys of $2.8 million and about $1.05 million supporting Husted. (Federal Election Commission (Defend American Jobs filing))
• Cointelegraph reported that Defend American Jobs has spent more than $6.7 million opposing Osborn, who is running against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. (Cointelegraph)
• Decrypt reported that on Oct. 5 Fairshake said it would back 32 House incumbents (19 Republicans and 13 Democrats), committing an initial $1 million each to French Hill, Bill Huizenga, Bryan Steil, Janelle Bynum, Steven Horsford and Derek Tran. (Decrypt)
• Decrypt said Fairshake, funded largely by Coinbase, Ripple and Andreessen Horowitz, entered September with roughly $120 million in cash and is expected to spend more than $100 million this cycle. (Decrypt)
• Cointelegraph said Fairshake reported $193 million in cash on hand in January, and that early voting in Ohio had been underway for 10 days with just under three weeks until the election. (Cointelegraph)
• Cointelegraph reported that the Fellowship committee, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, reported spending more than $11 million between August 2025 and August 2026, largely on media supporting House and Senate candidates. (Cointelegraph)