BlockBeats reported on June 21 that Forbes columnist and crypto law and policy expert Tonya M. Evans said political donations from the crypto industry are moving into Democratic primaries at an unprecedented scale as the 2026 U.S. primary season heats up. The controversy centers on campaign spending aimed at Black districts, where industry-backed advertising supports Black candidates while presenting progressive messages on everyday issues and leaving out the crypto identity of the donors behind the spending.
Protect Progress spending in Maryland’s Fifth District
Protect Progress, the Democratic branch of the Fairshake network funded by Coinbase, Ripple and a16z, has spent more than $4.9 million in support of Maryland House candidate Adrian Boafo. Its ads in the state’s Black-majority Fifth District focus on restricting ICE enforcement, opposing Trump and addressing the cost of living. According to the report, the ads do not mention cryptocurrency.
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid described the strategy on her program as “Blackwashing.” Her characterization was that an industry is using a progressive presentation to direct money into Black districts, support Black candidates and run ads about livelihood issues, while deliberately obscuring the industry identity of the financial backers behind the campaign spending.
Texas, Georgia and the CLARITY Act connection
Evans said the Maryland case is not isolated. The same crypto PAC network spent more than $5 million in Texas to help 38-year-old Christian Menefee defeat 78-year-old anti-crypto veteran Al Green. In Georgia, it spent about $4 million to help Jasmine Clark win an open primary. The operating pattern described across these races is consistent: pro-crypto candidates receive industry-backed funding, the ads focus on everyday issues, and cryptocurrency is not mentioned.
Evans emphasized that the dividing line for crypto money is not race, but whether a politician is a “friend or critic.” She said crypto super PACs have also spent heavily to defeat Black Democratic politicians who oppose crypto. The broader legislative arena is the U.S. Senate’s cryptocurrency market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act. The bill passed the Senate Banking Committee by a 15-9 vote on May 14 and was placed on the legislative calendar on June 1, awaiting a full Senate vote. Maryland Senator Angela Alsobrooks was identified as a key figure in moving the bill out of committee, and she has also publicly endorsed Boafo.