Coinbase-Backed Stand With Crypto Unveils Major Political Strategy For 2026 Midterm Elections

Stand With Crypto, the advocacy group backed by crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), has issued a stark warning to political candidates ahead of the 2026 midterms, endorsing its first slate of pro-crypto candidates and launching a new voter mobilization hub that could reshape the digital asset regulatory landscape. The group's aggressive political entry signals a potential 10% correction in traditional political funding models as crypto-focused voters become a decisive electoral force.

Stand With Crypto Builds Voter Tools 

In a Thursday press release, the organization said it will back six incumbent lawmakers from both major parties and focus resources on a set of competitive House contests where it believes crypto issues could be decisive.

The voter hub, the group said, will compile up-to-date information on congressional candidates’ positions on digital assets, including scorecards that rate candidates’ favorability based on public statements, legislative records, and responses to a Stand With Crypto questionnaire. 

The group described the hub as a tool to equip its network — more than 2.7 million advocates nationwide — with the information needed to cast informed ballots in November.

Mason Lynaugh, executive director of the Coinbase-backed group, framed the initiative as an effort to convert crypto supporters into an influential voting bloc, stating: 

This year, crypto voters are poised to play a powerful and decisive role at the ballot box — our goal is to equip our more than 2.7 million advocates across the country with the tools they need to make informed choices this November. 

Lynaugh added that the organization’s priority races are intended to help ensure that the 120th Congress is “the most pro-crypto session in America’s history,” and that the initial slate of endorsed candidates already has a record of supporting clear, pragmatic policies that foster innovation.

Stand With Crypto named six members of Congress in its first endorsement round: Representative Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nevada), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York), Rep. Don Davis (D-North Carolina), Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), and Rep. Rob Borsellino Bresnahan (R-Pennsylvania). 

Majority Of Crypto Owners Want Clearer Rules 

The group also reported that among 1,000 crypto owners and advocates polled, 59% of crypto owners and 77% of Stand With Crypto advocates are heterogeneous voters who do not reliably vote for a single party. 

The group noted that nearly a third of these voters are persuadable in their respective US Senate contests, suggesting that candidates’ positions on cryptocurrencies could sway outcomes.

Survey results also suggest crypto owners are highly motivated to vote: nearly 80% described themselves as “almost certain” to vote in 2026, and more than 75% said they were enthusiastic about participating in the general election — figures Stand With Crypto said outpace the broader adult population. 

A majority (64%) of crypto owners said they would be enthusiastic about supporting candidates who back the cryptocurrency industry, and about 47% said they could back a candidate who agreed with them on crypto even if they disagreed on other policy areas. 

Importantly for ongoing congressional negotiations on the anticipated CLARITY Act, 74% of crypto owners said they would be more likely to support candidates who favor clearer regulatory frameworks for the sector, with 31% saying they would be much more likely to do so.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com