How Crypto Became a $220M Political Force in America!

Less than three years after FTX's collapse handed regulators a permission slip for an industry-wide crackdown, crypto has rebuilt itself into one of the most formidable lobbying operations in American politics. Fairshake — backed by Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple — spent roughly $139 million across 58 House and Senate races in 2024, with about 85% of supported candidates winning. The industry has since assembled a war chest exceeding $220 million for the 2026 midterms.

The political returns were concrete and fast. The SEC dismissed its case against Coinbase in early 2025, dropped its Binance lawsuit, and closed its Robinhood investigation with no charges. Ripple settled its XRP case for $50 million and recovered $75 million held in escrow. The GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin framework — was signed into law in July 2025.