2026 US Midterm Elections in Real Time: What Does This Mean for the Crypto Industry?

Please follow the live coverage of the 2026 U.S. mid-term elections, including key congressional races, candidates supported by the crypto industry, and the potential impact of the election results on digital asset regulation.

In the coming hours, the outside world will begin to see whether the Republican Party, to which U.S. President Donald Trump belongs, will successfully maintain control of the U.S. Congress. This will determine his ability to advance his legislative agenda in the last two years of his term.

American voters participated in the 2026 mid-term elections on Tuesday, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate up for re-election.

Currently, the Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress, with 53 seats in the Senate and 45 seats in the House of Representatives, in addition to two independents who vote with the Democrats; the Republicans also maintain a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. If the Democrats wish to regain control of both chambers separately, they need to gain an additional 4 seats in the Senate and 3 seats in the House of Representatives.

The election results may impact the future of cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, including the currently stalled CLARITY Act; if the Democrats gain control of either house of Congress, they may also increase scrutiny of Trump's crypto-related activities. Reuters reported last week that Democratic lawmakers are preparing to launch a new round of investigations into potential conflicts of interest involving his family businesses.

Election updates in real time

The following are the latest developments, including the congressional campaigns that attract investment from the crypto industry, the election results, and predictions for the market's reaction. The updates are listed in reverse chronological order.

The Super Political Action Committee spent millions of dollars to influence congressional elections

According to Reuters, during the 2026 electoral cycle, crypto industry groups have invested approximately $176 million in over 100 electoral campaigns.

Backed by Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz, Fairshake led this round of expenditures through its affiliated super political action committees, Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress. At the beginning of October, the organization announced its support for 32 members of Congress seeking re-election, including 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats, all of whom voted in favor of the CLARITY Act in 2025.

Other groups with a bias towards the crypto industry include Digital Freedom Fund. This organization is supported by Gemini, the co-founder of a crypto exchange, and the twin brothers Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss. Another group, Fellowship PAC, supports candidates from both parties.

Cryptocurrency-related key battles worth paying attention to

The election dashboard of the Blockchain Association ( Blockchain Association ) lists 61 key congressional races, including 18 Senate elections and 43 House of Representatives elections. The screening criteria include the intensity of competition, the candidates' stance on cryptocurrency, as well as whether they are members of committees responsible for digital asset legislation.

Ohio State Senate: Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown

In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted is facing off against Democrat Sherrod Brown. The latter has long been a critic of the crypto industry. This electoral campaign has attracted approximately $63 million in spending from the crypto industry, including about $56 million invested by Fairshake, as well as $7 million invested by Digital Freedom Fund supported by the Winklevoss brothers. Both groups have used this funding to support or oppose Husted.

The encryption advocacy group Stand With Crypto describes Brown as "strongly opposed to cryptocurrencies," citing 17 of his related statements, as well as his voting record in 2024 against overturning the US Securities and Exchange Commission's crypto custody accounting guidelines SAB 121.

In 2024, Brown also became a target of political spending in the crypto industry. That year, Fairshake's affiliated organization Defend American Jobs invested over 40 million dollars to support Republican Bernie Moreno, who went on to defeat Brown in that year's Senate elections.

Nebraska Senate: Pete Ricketts vs. Dan Osborn

In Nebraska, Republican Senator Pete Ricketts is facing independent candidate Dan Osborn. According to a report by The Washington Observer on October 27th, the Crypto Political Action Committee Fairshake has invested nearly 11 million dollars in support of Ricketts.

More recent expenditure data shows that as of November 3rd, according to the data compiled by Bankrolled, the crypto super political action committee Defend American Jobs associated with Fairshake has invested approximately 13.5 million dollars in opposing Osborn.

Ricketts is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and supports crypto legislation, including the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act. The crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto stated that he voted in May to advance the CLARITY Act through the committee and supported a procedural vote on the bill in September that was not successful.

Texas Senate: Ken Paxton vs. James Talar Token Issuance

In Texas, Republican Ken Paxton faced off against Democrat James Talar in a token issuance competition. Although both received an A rating from the crypto advocacy organization Stand With Crypto, Digital Freedom Fund – supported by the Winklevoss brothers – chose to back Paxton.

Paxton calls for the passage of the CLARITY Act, stating that clear regulatory rules are necessary to maintain the United States' competitiveness in the field of digital assets. In a statement in June, he stated that the United States must become "the world's capital of crypto" and support innovation and growth.

Talar Token issuance also calls for the establishment of clear regulations, allowing for innovation while protecting consumers. According to the legislative records cited by Stand With Crypto, as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, he also voted in favor of establishing a state-level strategic Bitcoin reserve in 2025.

Wyoming Senate: Harriet Hageman vs. James Byrd

In Wyoming, Republican Representative Harriet Hageman is competing with Democrat James Byrd for a vacant Senate seat. The seat was previously held by Senator Cynthia Lummis. Lummis, a well-known advocate for cryptocurrency, is not seeking re-election this time.

Lummis serves as the chairman of the Digital Assets Subcommittee of the Senate Banking Committee and has proposed the BITCOIN Act in 2025, advocating for the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the United States. He also supports the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act.

Hageman also supports encryption legislation. She voted in favor of the passage of the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act in 2025, and supported the Market Structure Act FIT21 in 2024. According to Stand With Crypto data, she also co-signed a bill aimed at prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currency. The advocacy group stated that currently, there are no records of Byrd's public stance on cryptocurrency issues.

Maine Senate: Troy Jackson vs. Susan Collins

Maine Senator Susan Collins was one of the four Republicans who opposed moving the CLARITY bill to the next stage of proceedings in September this year. At that time, she expressed concerns about the potential impact of the bill on bank deposits. Now, she will face a challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson in an attempt to retain her seat.

Unlike Collins, Jackson expressed its support for clear encryption legislation before the election. According to Stand With Crypto, this organization rated Jackson as 'very supportive of encryption' because he called for an end to the demonization of 'legitimate crypto companies' and ensured that Americans have the right to self-manage their digital assets.

This is an ongoing report that will be continuously updated as more information becomes available, and the content will be further supplemented accordingly.