Coinbase, a popular crypto exchange in the US, announced an additional $25 million donation to Fairshake Super Political Action Committee (PAC) in a blog post. Coinbase stated that this fund aims to elect pro-crypto candidates and defend crypto users’ rights.
With this latest contribution, Fairshake and its affiliates have raised a total of $160 million this election cycle, making it one of the largest Super PACs.
Crypto Industry’s Influence Grows with Coinbase’s Donation
The donation reflects Coinbase’s strategy to expedite regulatory clarity through legislative and judicial means. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized the importance of electing pro-crypto candidates to overcome legislative gridlock and ensure the industry’s growth.
“For a bill to become law in the US, it must pass the House, Senate, and be signed into law by the President. And in our divided government, the default is that nothing will happen unless the cost of inaction is greater than doing the right thing. This leads us to an important conclusion: The best way to get regulatory clarity in democratic countries is to elect pro-crypto candidates on both sides of the aisle and to vote anti-crypto candidates out of office,” Armstrong said.
Before Coinbase, Ripple and venture capital firm a16z also donated to Fairshake. Other donors include Gemini’s Winklevoss twins, Jump Crypto, and Union Square Ventures. A report by Public Citizen found that digital asset-affiliated Super PACs, including Fairshake, raised the third-highest amount of all super PACs before the 2024 election.
Read more: Crypto Regulation: What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks?
In addition to contributing to Fairshake, Coinbase launched its nonprofit, Stand With Crypto, last August to advance pro-crypto legislation. Coinbase reported that, at the time of writing, StandWithCrypto.org boasts over 900,000 advocates nationwide. Remarkably, this reflects almost a doubling in its membership since May 10, when Stand With Crypto had nearly 500,000 members.
Crypto firms and key industry figures emphasize supporting pro-crypto candidates in the November elections. This move is crucial, given President Joe Biden’s administration’s stringent approach toward the crypto industry. Recently, Biden vetoed H.J. Res.109, a bill that would have overturned the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (SAB 121).
“My Administration will not support measures that jeopardize the well-being of consumers and investors. Appropriate guardrails that protect consumers and investors are necessary to harness the potential benefits and opportunities of crypto-asset innovation,” Biden said on May 31.
Read more: How Does Regulation Impact Crypto Marketing? A Complete Guide
SAB 121 requires financial institutions to list customers’ digital assets on their balance sheets. Critics argue this mandate creates substantial operational and financial burdens for firms handling cryptocurrencies and exposes customers’ assets to risks in bankruptcy situations.
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