Crypto super PAC Fairshake has $116 million on hand to grow industry’s influence in 2026 election
Fairshake, the super PAC bankrolled by crypto’s biggest players, announced Thursday it has $116 million in cash on hand, a war chest aimed at the 2026 midterm election cycle.
The fundraising total, which includes $11 million in new contributions, cements Fairshake as one of the most influential political forces in the country.
“With the midterms on the horizon, we are poised to continue backing candidates committed to advancing innovation, growing jobs, and enacting thoughtful, responsible regulation,” Fairshake said in a statement.
Major backers like Coinbase, a16z, Jump Crypto, Uniswap Labs, and Ripple Labs have doubled down on their commitment to electing pro-crypto candidates and opposing those seen as hostile to the industry. Robert Leshner of Superstate has also donated, according to the PAC.
Crypto, once dismissed as a speculative frenzy, now holds real power in President Donald Trump’s Washington. Industry-backed officials are securing spots in the president’s cabinet and across federal agencies. Lawmakers aligned with digital assets are launching probes into regulators accused of stifling innovation.
With Trump’s return to the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress, the industry is moving beyond just playing defense. Crypto-friendly policymakers are setting the agenda — working to reverse SEC enforcement actions, roll back anti-crypto banking restrictions, and push through market structure legislation for digital assets.
Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission over claims that it engaged in unregistered sales of securities. It’s among Fairshake’s top contributors, giving more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliated PACs in 2024 and committing another $25 million to the 2026 midterms.
Fairshake’s largest donors also include Silicon Valley venture fund Andreessen Horowitz, which had previously pledged another $23 million to the PAC in the midterms. The fund has contributed $70 million across multiple cycles. Ripple Labs, still battling the SEC in court, is another major political donor this cycle that has given around $50 million to Fairshake. A spokesperson said the company committed $25 million both this year and last year and intends to remain a strong force in D.C. for years to come.
The impact of this money extends beyond elections. With billions in market cap and tens of millions in lobbying power, the crypto industry has positioned itself alongside Wall Street, Big Tech, and the defense sector as one of the most formidable forces in Washington. The strategy is clear: Secure allies, neutralize threats, and lock in legislative wins that will define the industry’s future.
The 2024 election
For crypto executives, investors, and evangelists, the 2024 election wasn’t just about influence — it was existential. After four years of fighting to establish legitimacy while fending off regulatory crackdowns, the industry saw it as a chance to flip the script.
Crypto-related PACs and affiliated groups pulled in over $245 million for the 2024 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data. Nearly half of all corporate dollars that flowed into the election came from the crypto industry, per nonprofit watchdog Public Citizen.
Stand With Crypto Alliance — the advocacy group launched by Coinbase last year — developed a grading system for House and Senate races, helping direct funds to the most pivotal battlegrounds.
They succeeded. According to Stand With Crypto, nearly 300 pro-crypto lawmakers comprise the House and Senate this session, giving the industry unprecedented sway over the legislative agenda.
The playbook for the push was simple: Raise massive sums from a handful of donors, flood battleground states with ads, and either boost pro-crypto candidates or bury their opponents. The campaign framed races in stark terms. Candidates were either with the industry or against it.
Crypto companies and executives moved fast, leveraging a sophisticated nationwide ad machine to deploy their cash with precision. They also took lessons from Big Tech’s missteps. Instead of spending hundreds of millions on lobbying after the election, the crypto industry invested heavily beforehand, ensuring that its biggest threats never made it to office in the first place.
Subaru today launched its compact AWD SUV at an event in New York City. With 300 miles of range, NACS charge port, a speedy 0-60 time of under 5 seconds, you could say that this is Subaru’s first modern EV, no offense to the rebadged Toyota BZ/Solterra…
The exterior looks a bit like a $100K Lotus Eletre with an off road flair. Uncharted will compete with Volvo’s EX30 Rivian’s R2S and other AWD EVs that might not be as rugged like the VW ID.4, Hyundai Kona and even the Chevy Equinox. Subaru’s lighting signature, shared with the 2026 Solterra and Trailseeker, along with its aggressive, rugged off-road styling will set it apart from the crowd.
It features new 18- or 20-inch wheel designs, as well as a high-contrast, available two-tone roof on Uncharted GT for enhanced curb appeal. At the rear, the sleek combination lamps, black badging, high beltline, and seamless rear design, complemented by a silver-painted lower rear fascia, add to the visual presence of the Uncharted. Low-profile roof rails on all-wheel-drive models add more options for carrying gear.
A NACS charge port with speeds up to 150 kW ensures convenient and fast charging options at more than 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stations nationwide. Even in cold weather conditions, the Uncharted can recharge its battery from 10% to 80% in nearly 30 minutes thanks to an onboard battery preconditioning system. At home, you can charge up to 11KW level 2 charging.
The interior is modern Subaru with rugged textile around a big 14-inch CarPlay/Android Auto screen experience (pictured below). There are 2 wireless phone chargers up front and 2 USB-C chargers in the rear.
All trim levels of the Subaru Uncharted are equipped with an All-Weather Package, including heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer; power rear gate; interior ambient lighting; and DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System. The Uncharted Sport adds X-MODE® Dual-Mode with Grip Control, heated steering wheel, StarTex® water-repellent upholstery, panoramic view monitor, and more. Uncharted GT will include a panoramic moonroof with motorized shade, 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats, Harman Kardon® premium audio system, smart rearview mirror, and more.
The Uncharted battery is just under 75kWh, around the same size as a long range Tesla Model Y and it will get close to 300 miles in its FWD model (boo). Uncharted Sport and GT models are equipped with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with X-MODE, an anticipated range of up to 290 miles, and 338 horsepower which will appeal to more Subaru customers.
Full gallery below:
Electrek’s take
While Subaru maintains its close relationship with Toyota in EVs, and this is a C-HR rebadge, the Uncharted breaks some new ground. I love the NACS port, I love the range and the acceleration. Subaru’s fans might finally have an EV they can upgrade their ICE vehicle for.
That’s one thing that might be concerning for Subaru in the EV age: In ICE vehicles, Subaru makes one of the best, complicated AWD systems. However with EVs, AWD is almost table stakes at this point. Subaru will have to continue to innovate in the off road capable small SUV segment if it hopes to compete with all of the EV encombants. At this point, Subaru is a suspension and branding mod for Toyota.
The Uncharted certainly seems to be a good start.
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Lucid Motors’ (LCID) shares soared over 50% after the company secured a multi-hundred-million dollar investment from Uber to deploy robotaxis. So, why did Lucid just announce plans for a reverse stock split?
Why did Lucid announce a reverse stock split?
Lucid and Uber announced a new alliance on Thursday to deploy 20,000 electric robotaxis over the next six years.
The new robotaxi service, set to launch next year, will combine Lucid’s advanced software-defined EV platform with Nuro’s Level 4 self-driving tech.
As part of the new alliance, Uber plans to make “multi-hundred-million-dollar investments” in Lucid and Nuro. The first autonomous prototype is already in operation on a closed track at Nuro’s facility in Las Vegas.
Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, said, “This investment from Uber further validates Lucid’s fully redundant zonal architecture and highly capable platform as ideal for autonomous vehicles.” Winteroff claimed that the new alliance “is the start of our path to extend our innovation and technology leadership into this multi-trillion-dollar market.”
The Lucid Gravity boasts an impressive EPA-estimated range of 450 miles. Its electric sedan, the Lucid Air, just broke a Guinness World Record after traveling 749 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge.
Lucid’s partnership with Uber sent share prices surging over 50% during trading hours on Thursday. In a separate filing with the SEC today, Lucid announced plans to initiate a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.
The split won’t affect shareholder ownership, except in cases where fractional shares are created. In that case, shareholders will receive a cash payment.
Lucid said it believes the reverse stock split “will allow the company’s common stock to be more attractive to a broader range of investors and other market participants.”
A vote of confidence
During an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Winterhoff explained that a portion of the $300 million investment from Uber will be used to develop the self-driving tech with Nuro. Winterhoff added that Lucid’s surging share price was “a vote of confidence.”
According to Winterhoff, the reverse stock split is not due to Lucid’s fear of being delisted, but rather to attract larger investors.
It was also more of a “technical” strategy to reduce volatility and help Lucid participate in the broader stock market.
Many institutional investors avoid stocks priced below $5 due to the higher risk and price swings. The proposed stock split still requires shareholder approval, which will be voted on at an upcoming special stockholders’ meeting.
After that, Lucid’s Board of Directors will determine whether it’s still in the best interest of the company and its stockholders to proceed.
Lucid’s stock rose over 36% on Thursday, closing at $3.12 per share. Although shares of LCID are up just slightly (+2%), they are now up year-to-date. However, they are still down 18% over the past year and nearly 95% from their all-time high of over $58 a share in February 2021.
Last week, after meeting with Lucid’s CFO, Taoufiq Boussaid, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg set a target share price of $5.00, which was subsequently raised to $7.00 following the announcement of the Uber partnership.
Legg wrote a note to investors, “After meeting with LCID’s CFO Taoufiq Boussaid on Tuesday and reviewing 2Q production and deliveries, we remain confident in the company’s path to scale.”
Lucid delivered a record 3,309 vehicles in Q2, its seventh straight quarter with higher deliveries. The company aims to produce 20,000 vehicles this year, more than double the roughly 9,000 it made in 2024.
After ending the first quarter with $5.76 billion in liquidity, Lucid said that it has sufficient funding to last until the second half of 2026, when it plans to launch its more affordable midsize EV platform. The first two models will be a midsize SUV and sedan, starting at about $50,000.
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