Crypto PAC spends $11M to oppose Sherrod Brown in Ohio
A crypto PAC spends 11M-plus on ads in Ohio's US Senate race, backing Republican Jon Husted and opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown. Defend American Jobs PAC, tied to Fairshake and backed by Coinbase and Ripple Labs, reported $11.4 million in FEC filings Thursday as part of Fairshake's initial $30 million Ohio pledge.
The spending, detailed in a Thursday filing with the Federal Election Commission, covers media that supports Husted and opposes Brown's potential return to the Senate. Fairshake's Ohio push follows what some see as a repeat of crypto-industry spending in 2024. For related market and policy coverage, visit our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Key Takeaways
- Defend American Jobs PAC reported $11.4 million in ads supporting Husted and opposing Brown.
- The PAC is affiliated with Fairshake, a group backed by Coinbase and Ripple Labs.
- The buys are part of Fairshake's pledged initial $30 million in the Ohio Senate race.
- In 2024, Fairshake and affiliates spent about $41 million opposing Brown, who lost to Bernie Moreno.
- Brown previously chaired the Senate Banking Committee and criticized pro-crypto policies.
Why is the crypto industry targeting Sherrod Brown?
Brown previously chaired the Senate Banking Committee and has been one of Congress's more outspoken critics of pro-crypto legislation and policies. Fairshake's early $30 million pledge is aimed at blocking his return to the chamber.
Cointelegraph sought comment from the Husted and Brown campaigns and did not receive an immediate response. In an August 2025 inquiry after he launched his Senate race, Brown told Cointelegraph that cryptocurrency is part of America's economy and becoming more commonplace in Ohio, and that his goal is to expand opportunity for Ohioans while ensuring they are not put at risk.
How does this compare with 2024 Ohio spending?
The 2024 Ohio Senate race between then-incumbent Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno drew more than $300 million in spending from outside groups such as Fairshake. FEC records showed the crypto-aligned PAC and its affiliates alone spent about $41 million to oppose Brown and support Moreno.
Moreno won with 50.2% of the vote to Brown's 46.4%. Husted holds his Senate seat after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed him when then-Senator JD Vance left the chamber after being elected US vice president in 2024.
Who else is crypto money backing in Ohio?
Crypto-linked donors are also active in Ohio's governor's race. Vivek Ramaswamy, a co-founder of digital asset manager Strive who often spoke favorably about crypto during his 2024 presidential run, won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in May 2026 and will face Democrat Amy Acton in November.
Three co-founders of the Trump family's World Liberty Financial—Chase Herro, Zak Folkman and Zachary Witkoff—each donated the maximum $16,615 to Ramaswamy's campaign. His PAC, "V-PAC: Victors, Not Victims," also included $20 million from Susquehanna International Group co-founder Jeff Yass, $6 million from NYDIG founder Ross Stevens and $5,000 from the Bitcoin Voter Project.
According to Cointelegraph's reporting on the FEC filing, the $11.4 million Defend American Jobs media buy is an early installment of Fairshake's pledged $30 million effort in Ohio's Senate contest.