Donavan McKinney, who is challenging Michigan incumbent Shri Thanedar, claimed that “the crypto lobby is paying my opponent back for helping Trump” through advertisements funded by a political action committee (PAC).
An affiliate of the cryptocurrency-backed political action committee (PAC) Fairshake is seeking to influence voters in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District primary, with roughly $1 million allocated for the media campaign.
According to filings submitted to the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) as of Tuesday, the Protect Progress PAC had spent more than $986,000 on advertisements supporting Democratic incumbent Shri Thanedar while opposing challenger Donavan McKinney. The reported spending came about two weeks before the Democratic primary on Aug. 4, which will determine the party’s candidate for the November general election.
The media campaign mirrored Protect Progress’ strategy from 2024, when the PAC spent about $1 million backing Thanedar. He went on to win the Democratic primary with 54.9% of the vote before securing victory in the November general election with 68.6% against Republican and other party challengers.
Fairshake and its affiliated PACs reported holding $191 million in reserves that could be used to influence voters in key elections. These groups are among several crypto-aligned organizations working to help elect candidates they view as “pro-crypto” to the next US Congress. Other efforts include Fellowship, which is backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, and the Blockchain Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC supported by Anchorage and Chainlink Labs.
McKinney did not challenge Thanedar in the 2024 election and has not made any notable public statements either supporting or opposing digital assets. In contrast, Thanedar backed several crypto-related bills during his time in the House of Representatives, including the CLARITY Act, the GENIUS Act, and the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act. He also reportedly lost more than $600,000 in the second quarter of 2026 after investing $3.7 million in campaign funds into crypto-related companies.
“Shri has voted in favor of every bill that [Donald] Trump and the crypto lobby have brought before Congress,” McKinney said in a Tuesday statement responding to the PAC’s spending, adding:
“The crypto lobby is paying my opponent back for helping Trump make over $1 billion since taking office.”
Crypto PAC Expands Political Push Into Washington
Beyond its activity in Michigan, Protect Progress also spent more than $100,000 on media supporting Representative Greg Stanton’s reelection campaign in Arizona. Like Thanedar, Stanton voted in favor of the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act in the House. He secured victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District with 65% of the vote.
Washington state’s party primaries, scheduled for Aug. 4, could also be influenced by a Fairshake affiliate. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Defend American Jobs PAC spent more than $65,000 on media supporting Republican candidate Amanda McKinney in Washington’s 4th Congressional District, where she has publicly expressed support for cryptocurrency. Representative Dan Newhouse announced in 2025 that he would not seek reelection in the district.
