Crypto, AI Among Three Industries Driving Record $517 Million Corporate Spending in US Midterm Elections

August 21 news, according to Reuters, crypto companies, AI firms, and online betting platforms have emerged as the most influential industry forces in the 2026 US midterm elections, driving corporate political spending to a historic high. In the 15 months through the end of the first quarter, US corporate spending on House and Senate elections reached $517 million, surpassing the $461 million record for the entire 2024 election cycle. Combined donations from the crypto, tech, and online betting industries totaled at least $294 million. The crypto industry conducts political spending through networks such as the Fairshake super PAC, with Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz serving as major funding sources.