A new Politico poll conducted by Public First in April 2026 underscores growing public skepticism toward both cryptocurrency and fast-moving AI — a warning sign for industry political spending as PACs flood the 2026 midterm season.
Key findings from the 2,035-adult survey:
- 45% of Americans say investing in cryptocurrency isn’t worth the risk, even with high potential returns.
- 44% believe AI is developing too fast.
- Nearly two-thirds want Congress to impose strict regulations or broad oversight on artificial intelligence.
Those attitudes come as industry-backed super PACs deploy unprecedented money into midterm races. Fairshake — the pro-crypto PAC supported by Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ripple — has spent roughly $28 million across competitive primaries. The pro-AI group Leading the Future, launched in August 2025, has raised more than $75 million and is active in races across North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and New York. Together their spending tops $100 million.
But the poll suggests cash may not translate into votes. Respondents were markedly less likely to support candidates tied to groups that advocate looser AI regulation, and political observers warn that voters tend to punish candidates once they connect campaign dollars to controversial industries. “I do think if they see somebody is backed by crypto, that’s always going to be a problem,” former Ohio Representative Jim Renacci told Politico.
Part of the disconnect is basic name recognition: only 9% of respondents had heard of Leading the Future, and just 3% recognized Fairshake. That gap between financial firepower and public legitimacy could matter politically — especially for the crypto industry’s marquee legislative objective, the Clarity Act, which hinges on control of the Senate. As previously reported by crypto.news, if Democrats win either chamber in November, chances of Clarity Act passage are described as close to zero.
Bottom line: the industry’s enormous PAC spending is reshaping the midterm battlefield, but a nearly 45% public distrust of crypto and growing concern about AI regulation mean money alone may not be enough to sway voters or secure legislative wins.
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