Manny Rutinel won Colorado’s 8th congressional district Democratic primary with 61.7% of the vote. He’s heading to the November election. Before the primary, a super PAC backed by $3.5 million from Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen dropped $1 million on media supporting his run.
Rutinel has a “strongly supports crypto” rating from Stand With Crypto, based on his positions on stablecoins, market structure, and regulatory clarity. Coinbase is also a major contributor to the Fairshake PAC.
The crypto industry has spent about $189 million so far on the 2026 US election cycle, largely through PACs. Experts say it’s the same playbook from 2024 — spend big to elect pro-crypto candidates.
But not everyone’s happy about it. A new poll from Americans for Financial Reform shows most Americans — across party lines — are concerned about crypto’s influence on lawmakers. The results came after disclosures showed President Trump made over $1.4 billion from crypto investments in 2025.
“Voters have seen serious crypto corruption and high ranking government officials raking in profits while everyday people experience crypto-fueled losses and scams,” said Mark Hays from Americans for Financial Reform. The White House says neither Trump nor his family has ever engaged in conflicts of interest.
Bottom line: crypto money is shaping US elections, and voters are starting to notice.
