The first wave of endorsements from the Crypto Political Committee is out: Both U.S. parties are supported, betting on key midterm election seats

A new political action committee supported by Anchorage Digital and Chainlink Labs has officially announced its first wave of endorsements, fully betting on the U.S. midterm elections for the House and Senate seats.

The U.S. Cryptocurrency Industry Officially Enters the Political Arms Race

As the 2026 U.S. midterm elections heat up, the political influence of the crypto industry is rapidly expanding. Supported by Anchorage Digital and Chainlink Labs, the new political action committee (PAC) "Blockchain Leadership Fund" announced its first wave of endorsements yesterday, covering candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties, with a focus on key Senate and House seats.

According to publicly available information, the PAC’s initial support includes a total of 10 candidates, comprising 4 Senate candidates and 6 House candidates. The organization emphasizes that their support criteria focus on candidates’ attitudes toward digital assets, market structure reform, and blockchain regulation, rather than purely party affiliation. This also indicates that the U.S. crypto industry’s political strategy is gradually shifting from single-point lobbying to long-term electoral planning.

Bipartisan Support Becomes a New Strategy for the Crypto Industry

Over the past year, the U.S. crypto industry has invested heavily in politics. The most representative example is Fairshake PAC, which during the 2024 U.S. election spent over $130 million supporting crypto-friendly candidates and currently holds about $190 million in cash, continuing preparations for the 2026 midterms.

Unlike in the past when the industry leaned more toward the Republican side, now there is a stronger emphasis on bipartisan strategies. Both Fairshake and Blockchain Leadership Fund continue to stress that they are bipartisan organizations, aiming to influence both Democratic and Republican parties simultaneously.

The reason is quite pragmatic. The real battleground for crypto regulation in Congress has shifted from the presidential election to the distribution of seats in the Senate and House. Especially with market structure legislation like the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act, which currently rely heavily on bipartisan negotiations in Congress.

For crypto companies, rather than solely supporting one party, it’s more important to ensure that future Congress members who support crypto regulation reforms are sufficiently represented.

Why Chainlink and Anchorage Are Getting Involved

The establishment of the Blockchain Leadership Fund also reflects that crypto companies are beginning to directly engage in politics. Unlike the past when major firms like Coinbase, Ripple, and a16z influenced elections indirectly through Fairshake, this time Anchorage and Chainlink are almost directly building their own political platforms.

Anchorage is one of the few U.S. digital asset firms to obtain a federal crypto banking license, while Chainlink is one of the largest oracle networks in the world. Both companies have been actively promoting tokenized assets, on-chain finance, and institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure in recent years.

Therefore, future regulatory directions will directly impact their core business models. Market analysts believe that the crypto industry’s move to establish its own PAC indicates that regulation is increasingly viewed as a key competitive advantage. Those who can influence legislation and participate early in rule-making will have a greater chance of gaining market dominance.

The Washingtonization of the Crypto Industry Is Accelerating

The crypto industry is increasingly resembling traditional finance and tech sectors. Beyond policy lobbying, political donations, and regulatory negotiations, it is also building a comprehensive political funding network. Fairshake, Blockchain Leadership Fund, and other crypto PACs are gradually forming a long-term political influence system.

Currently, the market is most concerned about whether the 2026 U.S. midterm elections will become a critical turning point for crypto regulation. If candidates supportive of the crypto industry gain significant seats in Congress, the pace of digital asset legislation in the U.S. could accelerate markedly, including market structure laws, stablecoin regulation, tokenized securities, and DeFi regulations, all of which could see major progress.

Conversely, if anti-crypto factions regain control of key committee seats, U.S. regulatory attitudes could turn more conservative again. To some extent, the crypto industry’s current bets go beyond individual candidates; the real competition lies in who will shape the future of U.S. digital financial rules.

This article is compiled by Crypto Agent from various sources, reviewed and edited by "Crypto City." It is still in training, so there may be logical biases or informational errors. Content is for reference only and should not be considered investment advice.