US voters head to the polls in midterm elections on Tuesday that could shift control of Congress and shape the future of cryptocurrency regulation.
Crypto industry groups have spent roughly $176 million across more than 100 races this election cycle, according to an Oct. 27 <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/crypto-blitzes-midterms-with-176-million-support-allies-it-prepares-post-trump-2026-10-27" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Reuters</a> report.
Coinbase, Ripple and Andreessen Horowitz are <a href="https://ct.com/news/crypto-pac-spending-house-races-2026-midterms" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">among the main financiers</a> of the Fairshake political network.&nbsp;
The results could reshape the prospects for the stalled CLARITY Act and determine which lawmakers lead committees overseeing the industry.
<h2 id="democrats-seek-control-of-congress">Democrats seek control of Congress</h2>
Republicans enter Tuesday’s midterms controlling both chambers of Congress, with 219 seats in the House of Representatives and 53 in the Senate, <a href="https://www.baelectionhub.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">according</a> to the Blockchain Association’s election dashboard.
Democrats are seeking to overturn those majorities, with prediction markets favoring the party to win the House and Senate, according to Kalshi data at the time of publishing.
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Source: Blockchain Association
Voters will decide all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races, determining which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Democratic control could bring more congressional scrutiny of Trump-linked crypto businesses and regulators’ decisions. Control of the Senate would also affect confirmation of future presidential nominees to regulatory posts.
<h2 id="ohio-nebraska-and-texas-draw-crypto-attention">Ohio, Nebraska and Texas draw crypto attention</h2>
Ohio’s Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown is a major test of crypto’s political influence. Industry groups have reportedly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/mid-term-races-wall-street-other-financial-firms-are-watching-2026-11-02/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">spent</a> more than $50 million opposing Brown, a longtime crypto critic who could return to a senior Senate committee role.
In Nebraska, Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts faces independent Dan Osborn. Ricketts, a Senate Banking Committee member who has supported crypto-friendly legislation, has benefited from nearly $11 million in spending by Fairshake, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4780528/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">according</a> to the Washington Examiner.
Texas is another race to watch, with Republican Ken Paxton facing Democrat James Talarico in a closely contested Senate election. As Cointelegraph previously <a href="https://ct.com/news/crypto-pac-spending-midterms-fec-hack" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reported</a>, the Winklevoss-backed Digital Freedom Fund has spent money supporting Paxton.
<h2 id="clarity-act-faces-challenges-regardless-of-who-wins">CLARITY Act faces challenges regardless of who wins</h2>
A shift in congressional control could delay the CLARITY Act, although the crypto market structure bill has already struggled under Republican leadership.
The legislation would divide oversight of crypto markets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as establish rules for intermediaries. The Senate <a href="https://ct.com/news/failure-clarity-act-vote-us-lawmakers-2026-midterms" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">failed to advance it</a> in a 49–50 procedural vote on Sept. 15, short of the 60 votes required.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner cited insufficient safeguards against Trump profiting from his administration’s crypto policies. Republican sponsors said their final draft incorporated substantial ethics concessions sought by Democrats.
“A change in control of Congress would most likely reset the timetable for the CLARITY Act,” Christian Davies, group head of innovation and digital capital at Relm Insurance, told Cointelegraph.
Related: <a href="https://ct.com/news/crypto-pac-spending-midterms-fec-hack" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Crypto PAC spending before midterms possibly obscured after reported FEC hack</a>
Ryan Kirkley, CEO of Global Settlement Network, agreed that the challenges extend beyond party control.
“The CLARITY Act was already struggling to get through the Senate with Republicans in control, so clearly the problem goes beyond which party holds the majority,” Kirkley said.
The industry has already secured a federal stablecoin framework through the GENIUS Act, which became law in July 2025.
<h2 id="bitcoin-s-midterm-history-offers-few-clues-for-traders">Bitcoin’s midterm history offers few clues for traders</h2>
Bitcoin’s (BTC) price history around US midterms has attracted attention on social media, but analysts caution that past declines offer little guidance on what could happen after Tuesday’s vote.
<img src="https://s3-images.ctmedia.io/media/content/2026/11/01M6GS4FE6R4HSN4F50ECGF9B4/pasted-image-3005.png" alt="" width="1111" height="569">
Bitcoin fell below earlier yearly lows after the 2014, 2018 and 2022 midterms. Source: ManGana
“I’d be careful reading much into Bitcoin’s record after past midterms. There haven’t been enough cycles to call it a pattern, and the market is built differently now: ETF flows, institutional portfolios and global liquidity move the price far more than they used to,” Michael Heinrich, CEO and co-founder of 0G Labs, told Cointelegraph.
Related: <a href="https://ct.com/markets/uptober-hacktober-bitcoin-seasonal-pattern" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">From Uptober to Hacktober: Are Bitcoin’s seasonal patterns becoming obsolete?</a>
GSN’s Kirkley said institutional flows, interest rate expectations and market liquidity were more immediate factors affecting Bitcoin.
“Bitcoin doesn’t need a particular election result to succeed. It needs capital, confidence and a macro environment that gives investors a reason to take risk again,” Kirkley said.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/who-needs-clarity-anyway-arb-could-see-70x-increase-asia-express" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Who needs CLARITY anyway? ARB could see 70X increase: Hodler’s Digest</a>

What’s at stake for crypto as the US votes in the 2026 midterms?

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