After Clarity Act Fails, Crypto Super PAC Fairshake Targets Sherrod Brown With $30 Million

Fairshake, a crypto-backed super PAC, told Politico it will spend $30 million to oppose former Sen. Sherrod Brown in his bid to return to the Senate from Ohio. Brown is running against Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to the seat in January 2025 after JD Vance became vice president. The race is viewed as potentially influential for control of the Senate.

The announcement follows the Senate’s rejection of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a measure that sought to create federal rules for crypto markets and allocate oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The chamber voted 49-50 against cloture on a motion to proceed, short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill.

Senators present from the Democratic caucus all voted against advancing the measure, joined by Republicans Susan Collins, Josh Hawley, and Jerry Moran; Sen. Thom Tillis switched his procedural vote to “no” to allow the bill to be reintroduced later. The timing of the vote left limited opportunity to revive the legislation ahead of the November 3 midterms.

Fairshake, which reported backing from firms including Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz, previously spent roughly $40 million in 2024 to support Republican Bernie Moreno’s campaign that unseated Brown. The super PAC had reported raising $116 million for the 2026 cycle by January 2025 and showed $108 million on hand at the end of August. While Fairshake says it backs candidates in both parties who favor crypto-friendly policies, its advertising often emphasizes broader voter issues rather than explicit crypto messaging.