Solana Institute-backed super PAC pours $8 million against Sherrod Brown in Ohio race
Sentinel Action Fund, a U.S. super PAC (political action committee) backed by the Solana Institute, has pledged $8 million to support Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio for the upcoming November midterms.
The super PAC said Wednesday that it plans to pour $8 million alongside its sister advocacy organization Right Vote to back Husted's campaign.
Jon Husted has been a vocal supporter of crypto innovation. Advocacy group Stand With Crypto rates him as "strongly supports crypto" based on his past statements, and he has backed key pro-crypto legislation, including the GENIUS Act.
In a February op-ed, Husted called for a "pro-innovation framework for digital assets," suggesting that digital asset technology represents the "next wave of economic opportunity for working families."
Husted is running against Sherrod Brown, a Democratic Senator who has been a vocal critic of the crypto industry. Notably, Brown has advocated for a crackdown on the use of cryptocurrency to fund terrorism and evade sanctions. Brown lost his Senate seat in the 2024 election.
"[Brown] has stood in the way of pro-innovation policies when it comes to digital assets," Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson said in the Wednesday statement.
Sentinel has received backing from the Solana Institute and Multicoin Capital, a crypto-focused venture capital firm. The Solana Institute has donated $750,000 to the super PAC so far, while Multicoin has contributed $250,000, according to Federal Election Commission records.
The super PAC has also attracted funding from prominent financial figures, including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and Fisher Investments Chairman Kenneth Fisher, per the FEC filings.
Husted is the third candidate to receive Sentinel's backing in the 2026 cycle. It has previously announced support for Maine Senator Susan Collins' reelection campaign and Michigan Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate — both are considered pro-crypto.
Crypto super PACs played a critical role in previous elections. Super PAC Fairshake donated $12 million to crypto-friendly Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024, who ultimately defeated Brown in that year's election.
Fairshake, backed by crypto heavyweights like Coinbase and a16z, said in January that it has amassed $193 million to support pro-crypto candidates as it heads into the 2026 midterms.
Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald, the Wall Street firm formerly owned by current U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, donated $10 million to the Fellowship PAC to back crypto-friendly candidates, according to a FEC filing. Earlier this month, the Fellowship PAC named Tether U.S. executive Jesse Spiro as chairman.
