WASHINGTON, D.C. — The cryptocurrency industry, which spent heavily to help defeat former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio in 2024, is again bankrolling attack ads against the Democrat as he tries to win back his seat.

The crypto industry has spent about $54 million supporting Republican Sen. Jon Husted, making it one of the biggest sources of outside money in a race that has drawn hundreds of millions of dollars. That total tops the $40 million the industry spent in 2024 to help Republican Bernie Moreno unseat Brown in his Senate race.

Moreno, a longtime crypto industry advocate, has been leading the Senate push for new crypto regulations. In contrast, Brown had criticized previous proposals as too weak on consumer protection and…