New crypto PAC backs bipartisan midterm candidates

A political action committee backed by Chainlink Labs and Anchorage Digital has released its first slate of endorsements for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, signaling a coordinated push to shape federal digital asset policy.

Pac backs 10 congressional candidates

The Blockchain Leadership Fund said it will support four Senate and six House candidates from both parties:

• Senate: Barry Moore (Alabama), Kurt Alme (Montana), Jon Husted (Ohio), Angie Craig (Minnesota)
• House: Houston Gaines (Georgia), Jim Kingston (Georgia), Jon Bonck (Texas), Adrian Boafo (Maryland), Christian Menefee (Texas), Don Davis (North Carolina)

The cross-party list underscores the PAC’s effort to frame digital asset regulation as a bipartisan issue rather than a partisan fight.

Focus on national crypto regulation

Formed in March, the Blockchain Leadership Fund says its mission is to back lawmakers working on digital asset and blockchain policy. Its stated goal is to help advance federal legislation that would, for the first time, create a nationwide regulatory framework for the crypto industry.

Anchorage Digital’s head of policy, Kevin Wysocki, wrote on X that bipartisan legislative frameworks are “essential” for the future of financial regulation, aligning the PAC’s electoral strategy with a broader push for cross-party cooperation on digital assets.

Key role for Angie Craig and the Clarity Act

Angie Craig, now endorsed for a Minnesota Senate seat, has already been central to crypto legislation in the House. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, she helped steer through the committee’s version of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, often referred to as the “Clarity Act,” last year.

Craig is running for Senate after incumbent Democrat Tina Smith opted not to seek re‑election, positioning a lawmaker with hands-on experience in crypto policy for a higher-profile role in future negotiations.

Legislative backdrop: FIT21 and jurisdictional fights

The endorsements come as Congress debates several major digital asset bills. Among them is the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21), which passed the House in May 2024 with notable bipartisan support. That vote highlighted a growing appetite in both parties for clearer rules around crypto markets.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act sits at the center of this push. The bill is designed to settle the long-running turf battle between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over which agency oversees which parts of the digital asset market.

Supporters say establishing clear jurisdiction and compliance rules is necessary to give large institutions the confidence to commit more capital to the sector, while improving consumer protection and preserving room for innovation.

Washington engagement and rising lobbying spend

The PAC’s launch and its early endorsements are part of a deeper engagement effort by the crypto industry in Washington. Lobbying expenditures from crypto-focused companies and trade groups have grown sharply in recent years.

Organizations such as the Digital Chamber have steadily increased their spending to influence how Congress defines agency authority, market structure, and disclosure standards in upcoming laws.

Market and electoral implications

For market participants, attention now shifts to how these endorsed campaigns perform and whether their backing translates into greater momentum for digital asset legislation in the Senate.

A January 2026 survey of institutional market participants found that 65% view increased regulatory clarity as the top factor that would lead them to expand their allocations to digital assets. That result underlines how closely legislative outcomes are tied to longer-term market development.

The outcomes of the 2026 races will help determine the makeup of key congressional committees and the level of political will to move bills such as the Clarity Act and FIT21 from proposals into law.

Growing digital asset voter bloc

The political stakes are rising alongside public adoption. Recent polling suggests that about one in four U.S. adults — roughly 67 million people — now own digital assets, up by around 12 million from the year before.

This expanding group represents a growing voter bloc whose priorities on financial innovation and regulation are likely to attract more attention from candidates across both parties as the 2026 campaigns intensify.