A new crypto-focused political committee is staking a claim in this year’s midterm fight — with developers and DeFi builders squarely in its crosshairs.
Defend Developers PAC announced Wednesday that it plans to raise and deploy “more than six figures” across dozens of congressional races to protect the legal footing of blockchain developers working in the U.S. The group, founded by Gavin Zavatone — policy lead at the DeFi Education Fund — says it will prioritize incumbents who have already supported legal protections for crypto technologists and decentralized finance projects.
What the PAC will do
- Defend Developers registered last month as a hybrid PAC, a structure that lets it make direct contributions to candidates within federal limits while also funding unlimited independent political ads through a separate account.
- The committee says its campaign work will focus on the legal treatment of software creators in the blockchain sector, arguing that technologists need members of Congress who will defend their ability to build in the U.S.
- Its board includes figures connected to Uniswap Labs, the DeFi Education Fund, and the Solana Policy Institute. The PAC has not yet disclosed how much it has raised.
Where it fits in the crypto political ecosystem
Defend Developers arrives into a landscape already crowded with crypto political money, but it aims to operate differently from the biggest players. It is starting smaller than Fairshake — the leading crypto super PAC — and other mid-sized groups such as Fellowship PAC (linked to Tether) and the Digital Freedom Fund (tied to Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss).
Fairshake remains the dominant spender. This week the super PAC and its affiliates backed 11 primary candidates in California, New Jersey and South Dakota — all of whom advanced or won — including nine Democratic House hopefuls in California, one Democratic House candidate in New Jersey, and Republican Senator Mike Rounds in South Dakota. Fairshake’s recent activity has included a $6.5 million spend in Texas against veteran Democrat Rep. Al Green (who lost his primary to Christian Menefee), though it has also recorded losses in other races.
Other industry-backed hybrid PACs have also emerged — for example, the Blockchain Leadership Fund launched by Anchorage Digital and Chainlink — suggesting some firms prefer vehicles that combine direct donations with independent spending.
Why it matters
Control of Congress could hinge on a handful of competitive contests this November, and crypto groups are targeting races where their dollars could tip the balance. Defend Developers is not trying to outspend the super PACs; instead, it’s pitching itself as a focused political channel funded by founders, builders, and executives with direct stakes in crypto policy. Gavin Zavatone says the aim is simple: keep the United States a strong place to build blockchain technology by backing lawmakers who defend developers, creators, and DeFi teams.
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