Stand With Crypto, the crypto advocacy organization launched by Coinbase in 2023, has announced endorsements for candidates seeking seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives in the 2026 elections. The group’s selections arrive as polls cited in the reporting indicate that Democrats are favored to regain control of both chambers in 2027.
The endorsements give the crypto industry a more visible role in congressional races that could influence the future of digital-asset legislation. According to Cointelegraph, Bloomberg first reported on Wednesday that Stand With Crypto was supporting Republican Jon Husted in Ohio, Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa and Democrat Chris Pappas in New Hampshire for Senate contests.
Husted is defending his Ohio Senate seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown. Brown previously served in the Senate but lost to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024. The source material says outside groups spent more than $300 million in Ohio during that contest, underscoring the scale of spending that can surround a closely watched Senate race.
Stand With Crypto also named House candidates it supports, including Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa and Democrat Shomari Figures in Alabama. The organization had already endorsed 32 House candidates in August, describing them as “proven digital asset policy champions” and linking the selections to the possibility that crypto could influence voters in competitive districts.
Why the endorsements matter for crypto legislation
Control of Congress can affect whether digital-asset bills advance, particularly legislation that requires support across party lines or must clear procedural hurdles in the Senate. One measure highlighted in the reporting is the Digital Asset Market Clarity, or CLARITY, Act, a crypto market-structure bill.
The bill passed the House with bipartisan support in 2025. However, it did not receive enough votes for a crucial cloture motion in the Republican-controlled Senate on Sept. 15. A cloture vote is a procedural vote used to limit debate and move legislation toward a final decision. The failed vote therefore left the bill short of the support needed to proceed at that stage.
A change in the majority party in either chamber after the midterm elections could alter the political environment for the CLARITY Act and other digital-asset proposals. The source material does not say how the bill would fare under a different majority, but it identifies congressional control as an important factor in determining how lawmakers address such legislation.
Stand With Crypto has made the CLARITY Act central to its assessment of candidates. After the Sept. 15 vote, the group warned that lawmakers who did not support the bill could face consequences. The organization’s endorsements consequently represent not only a list of preferred candidates but also an effort to make digital-asset policy part of election debates.
Industry money and the Ohio Senate contest
Crypto-related political spending has already become part of several 2026 races. The money has moved through political action committees, or PACs, as well as through direct campaign donations.
Fairshake PAC, which is largely backed by contributions from Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Andreessen Horowitz, initially pledged to spend $30 million supporting Husted against Brown in Ohio. The PAC had spent $82 million on candidates nationwide as of June, according to the source material.
The figures illustrate why Ohio has become a significant contest for the industry. At the same time, Stand With Crypto Executive Director Mason Lynaugh rejected the idea that such spending guarantees an election result. In comments to Cointelegraph, he said there was no evidence that crypto organizations could “buy any assurances” about who would win a race.
Lynaugh said Husted’s endorsement reflected his record as a pro-crypto lawmaker and, specifically, his vote for the CLARITY Act, which he described as the industry’s top policy priority. He contrasted that record with Brown’s earlier time in the Senate, when Brown was described as a leading anti-crypto voice from an influential position on the Senate Banking Committee.
Lynaugh also acknowledged that Brown’s more recent comments about crypto’s role in the US national economy were encouraging, but said the organization’s endorsement process focused on past actions. His explanation shows that Stand With Crypto is placing greater weight on voting records than on newer public statements.
Moneyiar market picture
Moneyiar data at 09:14 on Oct. 1, 2026, showed Ethena (ENA) at $0.2612936422, down 0.44% over 24 hours but up 29.8% over seven days. RedStone (RED) was priced at $0.1819948485, with a 24-hour gain of 10.24% and a seven-day gain of 19.84%.
Polygon (prev. MATIC), listed under the symbol POL, stood at $0.1120762954 at 09:13. It had declined 3.19% over 24 hours while gaining 11.14% over the previous seven days. These market movements are separate from the congressional endorsements, but provide a snapshot of the digital-asset prices recorded by Moneyiar at the stated times.
