2026 Midterms: Why Voters Distrust Crypto and AI Despite Millions in Political Funding?

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U.S. crypto and AI industries are pouring tens of millions of dollars (tens of billions of KRW) into the 2026 midterm races, but voters remain largely skeptical of both sectors. Analysts warn that the deeper industry money penetrates politics, the greater the risk of a backlash.

On the 13th (local time), Politico reported that a Public First poll conducted in April found that 45% of Americans believe investing in cryptocurrency isn’t worth the risk, and 44% say AI is developing too quickly. Nearly half said they trust traditional banks more than crypto platforms, and two-thirds want Congress to impose strict regulations or broad oversight on AI.

The survey polled 2,035 U.S. adults online from April 11–14. Results were weighted for age, race, gender, region and education. The margin of error is ±2.2 percentage points.

That sentiment could limit the effectiveness of industry political spending. The pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, launched in August 2025, has raised more than $75 million (more than 100 billion KRW) and funneled money into primaries in North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and New York. The pro-crypto super PAC Fairshake, backed by Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ripple Labs, has already spent $28 million (approximately 37.3 billion KRW) on competitive primaries.

The industry’s growing influence is also visible in lobbying. OpenAI and Anthropic reported record lobbying expenditures in Q1 2026. The crypto industry is pushing the CLARITY Act in the Senate to secure clearer rules for digital assets.

But voter awareness still lags far behind the money. Only 9% of respondents said they had heard of Leading the Future, and just 3% knew Fairshake. Most voters still don’t know these super PACs exist, and lawmakers worry opposition could spread quickly if the public learns the funding comes directly from industry players.

Former Republican Rep. Jim Renacci of Ohio told Politico, “If someone is backed by crypto, that’s always going to be a problem.” In 2024, Fairshake-affiliated PACs spent more than $40 million (more than 53.3 billion KRW) trying to defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown, a prominent critic of crypto.

Reports that President Trump plans to appear at a memecoin gala tied to related events underline the widening overlap between crypto and politics. But the poll suggests industry cash may not translate directly into votes. With the 2026 midterms approaching, crypto and AI wield growing influence in politics — but without public trust, that influence could become a political liability.

TP AI Notice This article was summarized using a TokenPost.ai–based language model. Key details may be omitted or inaccurate.