The crypto industry continues to move into politics. In Ohio, another committee has backed a Senate candidate, and this is already starting to resemble the scenario of the 2024 elections.
Sentinel Action Fund announced that it will support Republican John Husted. The fund says it promotes candidates who support the development of the crypto market and new technologies.
Husted himself did not take his Senate seat through an election. He was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 after J.D. Vance became vice president alongside Donald Trump.
However, the fight is still ahead. Husted will have to compete with other Republicans in the May 5 primary. On the Democratic side, former Senator Sherrod Brown and Ron Kinkade are participating in the race.
Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson specifically criticized Brown. According to her, he “hindered the development of innovative policy in the field of digital assets,” which was one of the reasons for supporting Husted.
Although, according to the US Federal Election Commission, as of Tuesday there were no recorded expenditures in support of Husted in 2026, the PAC itself and the affiliated organization Right Vote have already promised to invest more than $8 million in the Ohio campaign.
At the same time, Sentinel Action Fund reported that from January 2025 to March 2026 it raised about $9 million. This amount includes $750,000 from the Solana Policy Institute, as well as $250,000 from crypto investment company Multicoin Capital.
The entry of the PAC into the Ohio race could be an indicator of how the crypto industry will influence the upcoming US elections.
In 2024, crypto PACs were already actively involved in politics. They spent more than $40 million in the US, supporting Republican Bernie Moreno in his attempt to unseat Sherrod Brown, who has repeatedly criticized cryptocurrencies.
Despite the defeat, Brown announced in August that he would run for Senate again.
At the same time, Moreno’s seat will remain secured for him until 2030, and the upcoming elections do not affect him.
The Race for the Senate in Ohio Is Not the Only One Where Crypto Appears
But the Senate race is not the only one. In Ohio, crypto has also appeared in the race for governor.
It was joined by Vivek Ramaswamy—former Republican presidential candidate and investor in Strive, a company betting on accumulating BTC.
He launched his campaign in February 2025 after leaving the Department of Government Efficiency, which is associated with Donald Trump. He immediately stated his position: he supported the idea of creating a strategic BTC reserve in Ohio.
However, there is another side to this story.
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Critics point to the candidate’s financial disclosure filed on April 6. The documents indicate that Ramaswamy owns a 10% stake in Strive. This means he could directly benefit from the rise in BTC value if the state starts investing in cryptocurrency.
If he wins, as governor he would have significant influence over such decisions.
According to Strive, as of Wednesday the company owns about 13,768 BTC worth more than $1 billion.
It is also noted that a member of editor Robert Lakin’s family donated less than $200 in support of Democratic candidates in Ohio—Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown.
Crypto Is Going Deeper Into US Politics
The story with Ohio clearly shows how the crypto industry is gradually becoming a full-fledged player in American politics. If earlier such initiatives seemed isolated and more like experiments, now it is already about systemic influence.
Crypto PACs are acting more confidently. They are no longer limited to supporting individual candidates. More and more often, it is about trying to promote their initiatives through elections.
And it is not just about regulation. Larger topics are emerging on the agenda, such as crypto reserves or the development of blockchain infrastructure at the state level.
In this sense, Ohio is becoming a kind of testing ground. Several lines of interest intersect here: campaign financing, direct participation of candidates with a crypto background, and attempts to introduce cryptocurrencies into the state economy.
See also: WLFI Faces Wave of Criticism Over New Token Unlocking Scheme
At the same time, risks are also increasing.
The more money flows into politics, the more questions arise about conflicts of interest and transparency. The situation with Ramaswamy only confirms this. Such cases could increase pressure from regulators and spark a new wave of discussion about the role of the crypto industry in politics.
The upcoming elections will show how effectively crypto companies can convert their influence into real political decisions. If this mechanism works, similar scenarios could quickly spread to other states.
