Ripple: Pro-Crypto Candidates Prevail Despite Midterms

Ripple leaders frame midterm outcomes as a mixed but winnable result for crypto

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections delivered a complex political landscape for the cryptocurrency industry. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty pushed back on narratives that portrayed the vote as a broad defeat for crypto, arguing instead that pro-crypto lawmakers secured meaningful wins across party lines even as Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress.

Industry leaders underscore bipartisan support for digital asset policy

In public comments following the Nov. 3 elections, Garlinghouse said representatives who support digital asset legislation won seats in both parties, and emphasized that the sector’s policy priorities will remain unchanged. "New Congress, with the same mission: clear rules, built in America," he wrote, noting that the approximately 67 million Americans who use cryptocurrency are a permanent part of the financial ecosystem.

Alderoty offered a more detailed assessment, calling headlines that labeled the results a crypto setback overly simplistic. He highlighted victories tied to Fairshake, a crypto-backed political action committee supported by Ripple, Coinbase and major venture capital firms, and pointed to early data from advocacy groups showing crypto-friendly lawmakers prevailed in a number of contests across the aisle.

Why Ripple says the results are not a clear loss for crypto

Ripple executives argue the right way to judge the industry’s electoral performance is by tracking individual races and relationships rather than party-level results. Alderoty noted that years of grassroots advocacy and sustained outreach to legislators helped secure allies who will be important partners in shaping federal digital asset rules.

That outreach included funding and political engagement through super PACs and advocacy organizations, plus education initiatives and nonprofit partnerships designed to inform lawmakers about blockchain technology, consumer use cases and market structure concerns.

Fairshake’s investments: wins, losses and the high cost of congressional races

The election cycle underscored how much the crypto industry is willing to spend to influence Washington. By late October, industry-linked political groups had reportedly deployed roughly $176 million across more than 100 congressional races, with Fairshake and related entities accounting for a large share of that spending.

Notable victories and key setbacks

According to public reporting, Fairshake had won 29 of the 34 races decided at the time of one November update — a string of successes that included GOP victories in some contested Senate and House races and several Democratic candidates who had earned crypto backers’ support. One example cited was a Nebraska Senate contest where Republican Pete Ricketts prevailed after significant industry spending. In Kentucky, Republican Andy Barr secured a Senate seat following industry-aligned support in the primaries, and a number of Democratic candidates supported by crypto groups also advanced to Congress.

However, the cycle also produced high-profile defeats. The most notable setback occurred in Ohio, where Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown — a long-time critic of the industry — beat Republican Jon Husted despite over $60 million poured into the race by crypto-backed committees. Brown’s return to the Senate represented a major loss for groups that had prioritized preventing his reelection.

Fairshake’s House strategy targeted incumbents who had backed crypto-friendly policy, including 32 members initially identified as priority targets. That list combined Republicans and Democrats — demonstrating the PAC’s bipartisan approach — but several targeted incumbents lost, while others held on, producing a mixed ledger.

Regulatory priorities and roadmap after the midterms

Despite the mixed electoral outcomes, Ripple reiterated its commitment to shaping clear federal rules for digital assets. Alderoty emphasized that regulatory progress is a long-term effort that spans multiple election cycles, and that working with lawmakers from both parties will remain central to the company’s advocacy strategy.

The CLARITY Act and stalled market-structure reform

Central to the industry’s agenda is the CLARITY Act, legislation designed to create a uniform federal framework for cryptocurrencies and clarify regulatory jurisdiction between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The bill stalled in September when a procedural vote in the Senate failed 49-50, leaving market-structure reforms unresolved heading into the midterms.

With Democrats now controlling both the House and Senate for the remainder of the presidential term, negotiations over digital asset oversight will likely feature heightened scrutiny on consumer protection, market integrity and the role of political spending in shaping policy. Ripple and other industry players have signaled they will continue to press for clear rules while also responding to lawmakers’ concerns about investor safeguards and lobbying influence.

What this means for crypto adoption, companies and investors

Alderoty and Garlinghouse stressed that cryptocurrency adoption continues outside the halls of Congress: consumers, businesses and banks are increasingly integrating crypto into payments, treasury operations and financial services. That adoption, they argue, reinforces the need for federal regulation that supports innovation while protecting users.

From a market perspective, the midterms’ immediate effect may be limited — regulatory outcomes will depend on how bipartisan coalitions form around specific bills, committee assignments, and the priorities of key lawmakers who now hold influence over digital asset policy. Industry-backed PACs and advocacy organizations have already indicated plans to remain engaged, with Fairshake reportedly positioning around $56 million for the 2028 cycle.

Political engagement as part of long-term strategy

Ripple’s leadership cast political contributions, super PAC involvement and educational initiatives as components of a sustained strategy to secure workable federal rules. Alderoty highlighted collaborations with nonprofits and industry associations aimed at educating lawmakers about blockchain use cases and market function — a tactic meant to build durable relationships rather than win single elections.

For crypto companies, the message from Ripple is to expect continued investment into advocacy, lobbying and coalition-building. The industry sees long-term legislative wins as essential to establishing regulatory certainty that would enable broader institutional adoption and clearer compliance paths for businesses and exchanges.

Bottom line: a nuanced post-election landscape for crypto policy

The 2026 midterms produced both wins and losses for the cryptocurrency industry. While Democratic control of Congress is likely to shift the political dynamic, Ripple’s executives argue the election did not erase pro-crypto momentum. Instead, they call the results a reminder that policy progress will require bipartisan engagement, persistent advocacy, and concerted efforts to educate lawmakers about blockchain technology and market structure issues.

For investors, companies, and crypto advocates, the key takeaway is that regulatory uncertainty remains but so does robust political engagement. The coming months will reveal whether newly elected officials who are receptive to digital assets can coalesce around legislation like the CLARITY Act or whether alternative regulatory approaches will emerge through committee work, agency action, or new bipartisan bills.