SUBJECT-29189.dossier · institution · status: active
FA
subject of file

Fairshake

Super-PAC funded by crypto industry to influence congressional races
Tracked because Crypto industry's flagship federal political vehicle. Spent in excess of $135M in the 2024 cycle, the largest single-issue corporate-funded PAC effort of the cycle. Routes funds through affiliates Protect Progress (Democratic-leaning) and Defend American Jobs (Republican-leaning).
Editorial summary · AI-drafted from public records

Fairshake is a federal super-PAC launched in late 2023, funded primarily by Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz to support pro-crypto candidates in U.S. House and Senate primaries and general elections.

Facts on record17
Connections mapped40
Sources cited5
✦ Thin coverage gap +143 connected to 40 entities · only 17 facts on record · flagged for follow-up research
Evidence: 10P+2 4S 3I
Network web → Timeline → Compare with… → Position Drift → Coverage tone → View on Graph → View Card → Export CSV JSON Dossier ← Entity Directory
Stated vs Revealed
No documented contradictions on file.
[PUBLIC COST ESTIMATE]
At least $45.0M in documented public funds flow through entities connected to this profile, while 10 elected officials hold documented connections.
$45.0MContract Value
1Money Chains
5Traced Hops
Connected Officials
Calculation Methodology

Contract values are summed from documented money flow chains where this entity appears as a source or destination node. Amounts are drawn from USASpending.gov, FEC filings, SEC EDGAR, or LD-2 lobbying registrations.

Donor contributions aggregate documented amounts from the donor_interests table, sourced from FEC individual and PAC contribution filings.

Connected officials are elected officials in our database with a mapped relationship (lobbying, board membership, campaign contribution, etc.) to this entity.

Annualised flow represents the total documented dollar amount traced through money flow hops involving this entity. Where hop-level amounts are unavailable, the chain-level documented total is used as a conservative upper bound.

All figures are drawn from public filings. Estimates are conservative — undisclosed transactions, dark money, and vanish-point hops are excluded from totals. This is a minimum documented floor, not a ceiling.

PATTERN institution → [affiliation] → person → [donor] → organiza... 2321× PATTERN organization → [donor] → person → [affiliation] → institu... 2321× PATTERN organization → [donor] → person → [donor] → institution 1193× PATTERN institution → [policy collaborator] → elected official → ... 447× PATTERN organization → [donor] → elected official → [policy colla... 447×
Connection Map
Key Connections
← Tim Scott elected official
political support beneficiary
Scott was a documented beneficiary of Fairshake-network spending in his 2022 re-election cycle and remains a top recipient of crypto-industry political support.
→ Ripple Labs organization
donor
Ripple Labs is documented as one of the three largest funders of Fairshake during the 2023-2024 cycle.
→ Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) company
donor
Andreessen Horowitz is documented as one of the three largest funders of Fairshake during the 2023-2024 cycle.
← Coinbase company
donor
Coinbase is among the largest corporate donors to the Fairshake super-PAC.
→ Protect Progress institution
affiliation
Protect Progress is an affiliate PAC in the Fairshake network.
→ Defend American Jobs institution
affiliation
Defend American Jobs is an affiliate PAC in the Fairshake network.
→ Sherrod Brown elected official
spending target
Fairshake's spending in the Ohio Democratic Senate primary (Sherrod Brown's seat) made it the single largest outside spender on a 2024 Senate primary contest.
← Jimmy Patronis person
funding/receiving
Defend American Jobs PAC, a Fairshake crypto super PAC affiliate, spent over $700K on ad campaigns supporting Patronis in the Florida special elections.
Facts (17)
Data Freshness
Ageing Last update: 160d ago · Avg age: 188d
Confidence Tiers: Primary Source — cross-referenced government/corporate filings Pending Review — sourced but not independently verified AI Inference — analytical hypothesis from cross-referencing
✓ Verified Findings (14)
Independently re-checked: a second model read the source artifact and confirmed it supports the extracted claim.
✓ verified Pending Review The Fairshake network has provided $63.4 million to Protect Progress and $55.5 million to Defend American Jobs in direct transfers since its inception through early 2026.
Date: 2026-03-23 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review On May 2, 2026, Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad confirmed that a bipartisan compromise on stablecoin yield (the Tillis-Alsobrooks deal) had cleared a 'key obstacle' for the CLARITY Act's Senate markup.
Date: 2026-05-02 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake reported a cash-on-hand balance of $191 million as of March 31, 2026, entering the midterm cycle with the largest single-industry war chest in U.S. history.
Date: 2026-03-31 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review In the March 2026 Illinois primary, Fairshake and its affiliates spent approximately $14.3 million across House and Senate races, with preferred candidates losing in both high-profile contests against Juliana Stratton and La Shawn Ford.
Date: 2026-03-17 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review As of March 31, 2026, Fairshake reported a cash-on-hand balance of $191 million, positioning it as the largest single-industry Super PAC in U.S. history entering a midterm cycle.
Date: 2026-03-31 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake’s spokesperson, Josh Vlasto, explicitly identified the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (CLARITY Act) as a 'key issue' driving the committee's 2026 midterm strategy in March 2026.
Date: 2026-03-12 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake spent nearly $10 million in the March 2026 Illinois Democratic Senate primary to oppose Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, marking the largest single crypto-PAC expenditure of the 2026 cycle to date.
Date: 2026-03-17 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake has provided $63.4 million to Protect Progress and $55.5 million to Defend American Jobs in direct committee transfers since its inception through early 2026.
Date: 2026-03-23 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review As of March 31, 2026, Fairshake reported $191 million in cash on hand, making it the largest single-industry Super PAC entering the 2026 midterm cycle.
Date: 2026-03-31 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake's spending in the Ohio Democratic Senate primary (Sherrod Brown's seat) made it the single largest outside spender on a 2024 Senate primary contest.
Date: 2024-06-15 Added: 03 May 2026
Primary Source Fairshake is registered with the FEC as committee C00835959 and reports under the super-PAC (independent-expenditure-only) regime.
Partially Corroborated Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Andreessen Horowitz are documented as the three largest funders of Fairshake during the 2023-2024 cycle.
Date: 2024-06-15 Added: 03 May 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Fairshake — 2024 Cycle Summary
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake's primary-cycle spending was concentrated in races where the candidate's stance on crypto market-structure or stablecoin legislation differentiated them from a primary opponent.
Date: 2024-06-15 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Pending Review Fairshake and its affiliates Protect Progress and Defend American Jobs spent in excess of $135 million on federal races during the 2024 cycle.
Date: 2024-06-15 Added: 03 May 2026
All Connections (40)
→ Protect Progress institution
affiliation primary since 2024
Protect Progress is an affiliate PAC in the Fairshake network.
→ Defend American Jobs institution
affiliation primary since 2024
Defend American Jobs is an affiliate PAC in the Fairshake network.
→ Ripple Labs organization
donor primary since 2023
Ripple Labs is documented as one of the three largest funders of Fairshake during the 2023-2024 cycle.
→ Sherrod Brown elected official
spending target primary since 2024
Fairshake's spending in the Ohio Democratic Senate primary (Sherrod Brown's seat) made it the single largest outside spender on a 2024 Senate primary contest.
→ CLARITY Act instrument
policy focus primary since 2025
Fairshake’s spokesperson Josh Vlasto explicitly identified the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (CLARITY Act) as a 'key issue' driving the committee's 2026 midterm strategy in March 2026.
→ Josh Vlasto person
spokesperson primary since 2026
Fairshake’s spokesperson, Josh Vlasto, explicitly identified the CLARITY Act as a key issue driving the committee's 2026 midterm strategy in March 2026.
→ Thom Tillis elected official
policy collaborator inferential since 2026
The Tillis-Alsobrooks deal on stablecoin yield was confirmed by Coinbase CPO Faryar Shirzad as clearing a key obstacle for the CLARITY Act, Fairshake's key issue.
→ Angela Alsobrooks elected official
policy collaborator inferential since 2026
The Tillis-Alsobrooks deal on stablecoin yield was confirmed by Coinbase CPO Faryar Shirzad as clearing a key obstacle for the CLARITY Act, Fairshake's key issue.
donor primary since 2023
Andreessen Horowitz is documented as one of the three largest funders of Fairshake during the 2023-2024 cycle.
← Coinbase company
donor primary since 2023
Coinbase is among the largest corporate donors to the Fairshake super-PAC.
← Cynthia Lummis elected official
supporter-beneficiary secondary since 2024
Fairshake-network PACs supported Senator Lummis as a lead Senate champion of crypto-friendly stablecoin legislation.
← Bill Hagerty elected official
supporter-beneficiary secondary since 2024
Hagerty, lead Senate sponsor of the GENIUS Act, was a documented beneficiary of Fairshake-network spending in 2024.
← Kirsten Gillibrand elected official
supporter-beneficiary secondary since 2024
Gillibrand, co-sponsor of the Lummis–Gillibrand stablecoin frameworks, has received support and engagement from Fairshake-affiliated PACs.
← Jimmy Patronis person
funding/receiving primary since 2024
Defend American Jobs PAC, a Fairshake crypto super PAC affiliate, spent over $700K on ad campaigns supporting Patronis in the Florida special elections.
← Mark B. Messmer person
Outside Spending Support primary since 2024
Defend American Jobs (Fairshake crypto Super PAC) spent $504,020 supporting Messmer's 2024 primary campaign.
← Craig A. Goldman person
financial support primary since 2024
Fairshake PAC, a crypto-industry super PAC, spent $725,091 in independent expenditures supporting Goldman's 2024 election campaign.
← Wesley Bell person
opposition spending beneficiary primary since 2024
Fairshake, a crypto industry PAC, spent $1.4 million opposing Bell's primary opponent Rep. Cori Bush in the 2024 MO-01 Democratic primary, benefiting Bell's campaign.
← Shri Thanedar person
inferential connection inferential since 2024
Fairshake is a pro-crypto PAC active in Michigan elections; while not directly named in Thanedar's documented facts, the $1M pro-crypto media campaign for his district likely involved Fairshake or affiliated groups given its prominence in federal crypto advocacy.
← Erin Houchin person
Potential Campaign Contributor inferential since 2023
Pro-crypto super PAC; Houchin's strong crypto advocacy aligns with Fairshake's mission, though specific contributions not mentioned in provided facts.
← Tracey Mann person
affiliation inferential since 2024
Fairshake is a crypto-focused PAC; Mann's pro-crypto voting record aligns with its interests.
← Raja Krishnamoorthi person
campaign supporter (super PAC) primary since 2026
Crypto super PAC that spent approximately $10 million supporting Krishnamoorthi's 2026 Senate bid.
← James R. Walkinshaw person
affiliation primary since 2025
Protect Progress, a cryptocurrency-backed super PAC affiliated with Fairshake, spent more than $1 million on media buys supporting Walkinshaw in the June 2025 Democratic firehouse primary — the first time a Fairshake-affiliated PAC supported a Democrat in 2025.
← Summer L. Lee person
issue_opposition inferential since 2025
The documented facts show Lee voted against every significant pro-crypto bill including the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act, which Fairshake (a crypto PAC) typically supports. Lee criticized 'crypto AND AI PACs' as part of 'Big $' corrupting democracy.
← Tim Scott elected official
political support beneficiary primary since 2022
Scott was a documented beneficiary of Fairshake-network spending in his 2022 re-election cycle and remains a top recipient of crypto-industry political support.
← GENIUS Act instrument
PAC network spending influence primary since 2024
Senate Banking Committee markup of the GENIUS Act occurred during a cycle in which the Fairshake PAC network spent heavily in primaries involving Senate candidates positioned to vote on the bill.
← Emily Randall person
affiliation inferential since 2024
Protect Progress (which spent $1.5M on Randall's behalf) is affiliated with the Fairshake crypto super PAC network.
← Fairshake PAC organization
alias primary since 2024
Fairshake PAC appears under the name 'Fairshake' in the known entities list, indicating the same entity with a shortened name.
← Riley M. Moore person
affiliation primary since 2024
The cryptocurrency super PAC 'Defend American Jobs' is affiliated with Fairshake. This PAC spent heavily to support Moore's 2024 primary campaign.
← Troy Balderson person
potential PAC alignment inferential since 2024
Balderson's heavily PAC-funded campaign (50.76% from PACs) and pro-crypto voting record align with the policy interests of Fairshake, a crypto-focused super PAC.
Indirect Financial Network (Same Treasurer) inferential since 2023
Brandon Philipczyk, sole named treasurer for Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, operates through Bison Strategies. No direct contribution, but structural connection through shared personnel. (Search results show Philipczyk as treasurer).
← Bryan Steil person
Outside spending support primary since 2024
The cryptocurrency-backed Fairshake PAC spent over $760,000 on independent expenditures supporting Steil's 2024 reelection, making it the largest outside spender in the race.
← William R. Timmons person
donor inferential since 2024
Timmons' top contributing industry in 2023-2024 was Leadership PACs ($163,400), and Fairshake is a major crypto-focused super PAC that supported pro-crypto candidates; Timmons' pro-crypto record suggests alignment.
← Troy Downing person
donor inferential since 2024
Fairshake is a crypto-focused PAC; Defend American Jobs (which supported Downing) is a crypto PAC. Both are in the same industry vertical, but no direct funding from Fairshake to Downing is documented.
← Zachary Nunn person
donor primary since 2024
Fairshake crypto Super PAC spent $984,696 supporting Nunn in the 2024 election cycle, making it the largest outside spender for his race.
← Jimmy Gomez person
donor primary since 2024
Crypto PAC Fairshake spent $511,000 in independent expenditures supporting Gomez in the 2024 election cycle. Gomez subsequently voted for multiple pro-crypto industry bills including H.R.4763 (FIT21), the GENIUS Act, the CLARITY Act, and H.J.Res.25 (repealing IRS crypto broker rules).
← Jonathan L. Jackson person
donor inferential since 2022
Crypto-backed Super PACs including Protect Our Future (funded by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried) spent $1,041,899 supporting Jackson in the 2022 primary. Though Fairshake is a separate crypto PAC, the pattern of crypto industry funding ties to Jackson's campaign.
← Yassamin Ansari person
donor primary since 2024
Protect Progress, which supported Ansari, was funded by Fairshake which received $45M from Ripple Labs, $40M from Coinbase, and $44M from crypto investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
← Suhas Subramanyam person
affiliation primary since 2024
Protect Progress, which supported Subramanyam, is a super PAC affiliated with Fairshake PAC (crypto industry).
← Defend American Jobs PAC organization
affiliation inferential since 2026
Fairshake is another political action committee listed in the known entities; all are super PACs active in federal elections.
← Christian Menefee elected official
independent expenditure support primary since 2026
The crypto-industry super PAC Fairshake spent over $1 million in independent expenditures supporting Menefee's primary campaign against Al Green.
Money Flows Passing Through (1)
Documented payment chains where this entity appears as a source, hop, or vanish point. All chains →
active 7 hops ⚠ 1 vanish USD 45000000.00
Coinbase corporate treasury → Fairshake super-PAC → Senate crypto winners → GENIUS Act
Sources (5)
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Fairshake — Parliamentary records (no results) parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Fairshake — Court records (no results) court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Fairshake — USASpending contracts (no results) contract Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-05-09 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Fairshake not found in opencorporates claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Fairshake — Lobbying disclosures (no results) government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt