PolicyShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailNew Political Action Committee Expands Crypto Campaign Funding Landscape Ahead of Elections
The Defend Developers PAC aims to support lawmakers advocating for legal protections for crypto developers.
By Jesse Hamilton|Edited by Nikhilesh De Jun 3, 2026, 6:50 p.m. 3 min readMake preferred on
A newly formed political action committee focuses on supporting legal protections for crypto developers. (illustration by Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)Key Details:
- The Defend Developers PAC has been launched, joining other crypto-focused PACs such as Fairshake.
- This organization will prioritize contributions to incumbent politicians who are already in favor of legal protections for crypto developers and decentralized finance.
A new political action committee, known as the Defend Developers PAC, has emerged to contribute to the growing political presence of the cryptocurrency sector.
This PAC does not aim to compete with Fairshake, the industry’s leading super PAC, nor is it expected to achieve the same level of influence as mid-tier committees like the Fellowship PAC associated with Tether and the Digital Freedom Fund linked to Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss of Gemini. Instead, it plans to support sitting lawmakers who have already demonstrated their support for the legal safeguarding of crypto developers and DeFi project creators.
Gavin Zavatone, the PAC's founder, stated, "We intend to raise and contribute over six figures across numerous key races in the midterms, as crypto technologists deserve advocates in Congress who will champion their cause." Zavatone also serves as the policy lead at the DeFi Education Fund, a trade association that promotes DeFi-friendly policies.
Defend Developers — registered federally last month — operates as a hybrid PAC, allowing for direct contributions to candidates within Federal Election Commission limits while also facilitating unlimited corporate donations for independent advertisements. Most political interventions by the crypto sector have involved super PACs, which do not have spending caps, although another new entity, the Blockchain Leadership Fund, created by Anchorage Digital and Chainlink, is also a hybrid.
"As a hybrid PAC, we're developing the political infrastructure needed to ensure the U.S. remains the best environment for blockchain technology development — and we are doing it properly, fueled by individual contributions from founders, builders, and CEOs who have the most at stake," Zavatone remarked. The board includes members from Uniswap Labs, DEF, and the Solana Policy Institute, though details about initial funding have not yet been disclosed.
Without the substantial funding provided by Fairshake and its affiliates, the impact of a new crypto PAC is likely to be limited. Fairshake recently celebrated victories in primary elections, supporting nine Democratic candidates for the U.S. House in California, one in New Jersey, and Republican Senate candidate Mike Rounds in South Dakota, all of whom won their primaries, contributing to Fairshake's impressive track record for politicians who support crypto, despite spending less than $476,000 on these recent races.
Fairshake allocated $6.5 million to ensure that veteran House member and crypto skeptic Al Green was defeated by Christian Menefee in a Texas primary last week. However, the super PAC, one of the largest in U.S. politics, has also experienced setbacks, such as in Illinois, as reported earlier this year.
The upcoming general election in November poses significant stakes, with the potential to alter the majority in Congress toward the Democrats in at least one chamber.
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What to know:
- Crypto-affiliated super PACs aligned with Fairshake successfully advanced all 11 of their endorsed candidates in Tuesday’s primaries, extending the industry’s recent winning streak.
- The victories, occurring in key races across California, New Jersey, and South Dakota, underscore a strategy that seeks to build new alliances with Democratic lawmakers while also engaging some Republicans...