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

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 Reuters report.

Coinbase, Ripple and Andreessen Horowitz are among the main financiers of the Fairshake political network. 

The results could reshape the prospects for the stalled CLARITY Act and determine which lawmakers lead committees overseeing the industry.

Democrats seek control of Congress

Republicans enter Tuesday’s midterms controlling both chambers of Congress, with 219 seats in the House of Representatives and 53 in the Senate, according 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.

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.