MIAMI — The cryptocurrency industry sees the 2026 U.S. midterm elections as a key test of whether Washington’s recent embrace of digital assets is sustainable, said Jesse Spiro, head of government affairs at Tether.io.
“We’ve seen a lot of good input and progress over the last year,” Spiro said during a panel discussion at Consensus 2026 in Miami, pointing to the passage of the Talent Act and progress on market structure legislation. “But like anything else, the apple cart always gets uneasy.”
Spiro warned that the election could have a “huge impact” on the industry’s trajectory, even as cryptocurrency advocacy groups prepare to deploy major political spending and grassroots organizing.
“Cryptocurrency should not be partisan,” Spiro said. “The best-case scenario is that we have members who support the industry, the ecosystem, good policy.”
Other panelists believed the industry’s political influence will only increase before November.
Colin McLaren, director of government relations at the Solana Policy Institute, said cryptocurrency political efforts are now focused on “durability” to ensure Congress’ future continues to advance industry priorities, including tax reform and protections for developers.
“You can put a down payment on a house, but you have to keep paying the mortgage,” McLaren said, referring to the cryptocurrency industry’s campaign spending efforts after pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2024 election cycle.
Mason Lynaugh, executive director of Stand With Crypto, said the group’s nearly 3 million members increasingly view elections as a “moment of accountability.”
“They are going to show up and support those who support them,” Linno said, adding that cryptocurrency voters are highly motivated and could sway close races. “If something is decided by 4,000 votes, 5,000 votes … all we have to do is vote them out.”
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