加密政治行动委员会将保护泰德·克鲁兹参议院席位列为“首要任务”

As the United States prepares for its 2024 elections, with Texans already casting their votes in early voting, crypto-focused political action committees (PACs) have made their final expenditures in support of Republican Senator Ted Cruz's reelection bid.

By October 24, filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) indicated that the Bitcoin Voter PAC had spent around $30,000 on digital advertising to back Cruz in the upcoming election. This PAC, which received $65,000 from the Bitcoin Voter Project—an organization formed by mining executives aiming to educate voters about Bitcoin (BTC)—has also released ad spots encouraging support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

1. The expenditures come at a time when polls show Cruz in a tight race with Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred, with the Texas Secretary of State reporting that since the early voting began on October 21, about 15.1% of registered voters in the state have cast their ballots, totaling more than 2.8 million people.

Neither candidate appears to be overtly against crypto. Cruz, who has spoken at numerous crypto conferences advocating for reduced regulations on BTC miners in Texas, has expressed support for the industry, emphasizing its potential to create jobs, foster entrepreneurship, hedge against inflation, and open up new opportunities.

2. While many of Cruz's supporters in the crypto space have suggested that Allred is not opposed to digital assets or blockchain technology, they tend to favor the Texas senator for his vocal advocacy. Allred, in his capacity as Representative for Texas's 32nd Congressional District, voted in favor of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act but has also publicly linked cryptocurrencies to the funding of terrorist groups.

3. Despite this, Ted Cruz has been a long-time champion of Bitcoin and protecting his seat is a top priority for the Bitcoin Voter Project, according to Jayson Browder, senior vice president of government affairs and social responsibility at MARA. He emphasized that with Pennsylvania being a key state in the election, the project is confident in mobilizing Bitcoin voters to support pro-Bitcoin candidates at the top of the ticket and in the US Senate race.

The Bitcoin Voter PAC's ad, released on the first day of early voting in Texas, was not the only support Cruz received from the crypto industry. FEC records show that the Bitcoin Freedom PAC—a group suggesting that Democratic victories in 2024 could hinder pro-Bitcoin legislation and regulation—contributed $350,000 to the Truth and Courage PAC, a committee explicitly supporting Cruz's reelection.

Industry leaders such as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, and Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, have each donated the maximum allowable amount of $3,300 directly to Cruz's campaign. Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, who has contributed $11 million in XRP to a Super PAC supporting Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, also sent $3,300 to Allred's campaign.

PACs like Fairshake and its affiliates Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress have spent millions on media buys to support or oppose candidates across party lines in the 2024 election cycle. Julie Johnson, a Democrat vying to replace Allred as Representative for Texas's 32nd Congressional District, received about $1 million in support through media buys from Protect Progress. Other PACs, such as the Commonwealth United Fund, have accepted contributions from industry leaders to back Republican John Deaton's challenge to unseat Senator Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts.

Both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates focused on Texas on October 25, with Vice President Harris and Trump attending separate campaign events. Trump is set to appear on comedian Joe Rogan's podcast in Austin, while Harris's campaign will host a rally in Houston featuring Beyoncé and Willie Nelson.

In summary, crypto-focused PACs and industry leaders are making significant financial contributions to support candidates in the 2024 election, reflecting the growing importance of the crypto industry in national politics. Their involvement underscores the potential for crypto voters to play a disruptive role in the election, a trend that is likely to continue in the future.