A Canadian court has ordered the return of a Bitcoin wallet to the family of a murderer, after prosecutors failed to prove the wallet was linked to the murder.

As results of the U.S. midterm elections indicated the Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of Congress, the crypto market briefly came under pressure, with Bitcoin dropping to around $75,600 in the early hours of Wednesday before rebounding rapidly. As of 00:00 UTC, Bitcoin has risen roughly 1.3% to trade near $78,300; Ethereum is up around 2%, and the CoinDesk 80 Index gained 2.3%. The DeFi sector was the top performer, with the CoinDesk DeFi Select Index climbing approximately 5%, among which Injective (INJ) saw a 6.2% gain; Venice (VVV) led the CoinDesk 100 Index with a roughly 7% increase. Trump-linked tokens generally declined. In derivatives trading, total market futures volume rose 27% over 24 hours, open interest increased only 3%, and liquidation value jumped 22% to $469 million. ZEC’s open interest grew 25%, while its price rose 14% in the same period, signaling inflows of new capital. Moving forward, the market will focus on the U.S. jobs report set to be released Friday.

Nvidia’s stock rose on Wednesday, despite potential stricter restrictions on data center construction that Democrats may push for after winning the election. Positive results reported by major chip industry players show that market concerns over delays to data center construction have not yet immediately impacted Nvidia and other hardware firms. Clients are still scrambling to hoard AI hardware, even as it remains unclear where suitable facilities to install these devices will be available in the future. The defeat of Republican governors in Texas and Ohio in the election means AI infrastructure construction will face stricter scrutiny. Mark Haefele, Chief Investment Officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, wrote in a research report: "Increased congressional oversight will not necessarily hinder the AI investment cycle. Comprehensive federal-level restrictions will face constraints from legislative and presidential powers, while state and local regulations still have a greater impact on the timeline and location of data center construction." If Democratic politicians do push for strict measures to limit AI data center construction, Nvidia will face greater challenges in the future. However, the market is currently more focused on signs of strong chip demand following the stock’s recent weakness.

Following the U.S. midterm elections, where the Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately faced fierce criticism from domestic political rivals. Opposition figures accused him of longstanding public support for the Republican Party, which has eroded Israel’s traditional cross-party backing in the U.S., and are leveraging the election results to push for the formation of a new government excluding Netanyahu. Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s center-left opposition party, said the election results reflect that Netanyahu holds negative standing within both the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties. Centrist leader Yair Lapid warned that Netanyahu’s continued tenure would endanger Israel’s security and international status. U.S.-Israel relations could also face new strains. With Democrats controlling Congress, the party may pressure Israel through hearings, oversight investigations, and budget measures. Previously, support for Israel’s military operations and U.S. aid to Israel had already weakened within the Democratic Party; the joint military action taken by Donald Trump and Netanyahu against Iran further exacerbated this trend. Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to hold talks with representatives of all political parties on Wednesday and Thursday to launch the process of forming a new government. Netanyahu remains in office as caretaker prime minister.

Circle released its third-quarter 2026 financial results, with total revenue and reserve income reaching $865 million, up 17% year-over-year (YoY). Net profit from continuing operations stood at $226 million, growing 5% YoY, while adjusted EBITDA came in at $317 million, surging 85% YoY. By segment, reserve income was $658 million, down 8% YoY; other revenue hit $207 million, jumping 627% YoY, of which $182 million derived from the ARC token presale. For USDC metrics: In Q3, average circulating supply of USDC reached $73.3 billion, up 8% YoY; on-chain transaction volume totaled $13.9 trillion, rising 49% YoY. At quarter-end, USDC held a 27% market share, with the number of wallets holding more than $10 worth of USDC hitting 7.3 million, up 16% YoY. Operationally, Circle’s annualized total payment volume on its Circle Payment Network (CPN) reached $41.3 billion. The company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Singapore-based cross-border payment platform Tazapay, with the transaction expected to close in 2027. Additionally, Circle cut approximately 5% of its workforce in Q3, while maintaining its full-year 2026 financial guidance unchanged.

According to data from the BIT Stock Platform, U.S.-listed Circle has released its earnings report, with its pre-market gains widening, now rising 3.35%. The report shows total revenue and reserve income for Q3 2026 reached $865 million, up 17% year-over-year; net profit from continuing operations was $226 million, up 5% YoY; adjusted EBITDA stood at $317 million, up 85% YoY. By segment, reserve income came to $658 million, down 8% YoY; other income hit $207 million, surging 627% YoY, of which $182 million originated from the ARC token presale. In Q3, the average circulating supply of USDC was $733 billion, up 8% YoY; on-chain transaction volume reached $13.9 trillion, up 49% YoY; at quarter-end, USDC held a 27% market share, and the number of wallets holding over $10 worth of USDC reached 7.3 million, up 16% YoY.

Circle filed documents disclosing that the company has cut approximately 5% of its workforce.