Crypto's Political Shopping Spree Heats Up: Anchorage and Chainlink Back New PAC

Anchorage Digital and Chainlink Labs have decided that writing checks to politicians sounds way more fun than waiting for the SEC to maybe, possibly, sort of regulate them into existence. The two crypto giants are now founding contributors to the Blockchain Leadership Fund — a shiny new hybrid PAC with dreams of supporting candidates who actually want to advance digital asset and blockchain policy in the United States. Because nothing says "we're serious about this industry" quite like forming a political action committee with a Chamber of Commerce adjacent.

The PAC, assembled with members of The Digital Chamber, can drop cash on both direct candidate contributions and independent expenditures across federal, state, and local races. It's the everything bagel of political spending — no level of government is safe. Neither company disclosed how much they contributed, though Anchorage Digital — valued at a cool $4.2 billion — said it would be using corporate resources. In crypto terms, that's the difference between saying "I'm in" and actually showing your hand. We're all just going to have to use our imaginations.

"Crypto policy is being written right now and the companies that show up and engage will help define the rules of the road; the ones that don't will inherit them," an Anchorage Digital spokesperson said. Which is a fancy way of saying: if you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu. The regulatory capture carousel is spinning, and nobody wants to be the one standing still when the music stops.

The launch comes as lawmakers continue wrestling with crypto legislation like it's a sudoku puzzle designed