Stand With Crypto to Vet 2026 Candidates on Digital Asset Positions

Why It Matters

The initiative could shape the policy landscape by influencing which lawmakers receive crypto‑friendly ratings and voter support, potentially affecting the passage of pro‑crypto legislation and the broader growth of the digital‑asset industry in the United States.

Summary

Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase‑backed advocacy group, has begun sending a questionnaire to an unspecified number of federal and state candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to gauge their positions on digital assets, crypto innovation, de‑banking, mining, zoning, and consumer protections. The responses will be used to grade candidates, create voter‑facing profiles, and guide the organization’s mobilization efforts, building on its previous voter‑turnout work that may have helped Democrat Mikie Sherrill win the 2025 New Jersey governor’s race. In 2024, Stand With Crypto reported that 274 candidates it deemed pro‑crypto won election or reelection, and all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats will be contested in 2026. The group’s push coincides with ongoing congressional work on a comprehensive digital‑asset market‑structure bill, which Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott expects to pass early next year.