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According to the official website of Discount Bank, the bank will allow individual customers to buy, hold, and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum directly in the bank's app starting from November 26, without the need to open a separate digital wallet or overseas exchange account. This is the first time in the Israeli banking industry.The service is only available to Israeli residents who have opened a securities account and are at least 18 years old. The transaction fee is 2% of the transaction amount, and there will be no custody fees for the first six months after the launch, followed by a quarterly fee of 0.25%. The assets are custodied by Fireblocks.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, in the market Polymarket for the event "Israel and Iran ceasefire continues," the sub-market "November 20" saw the probability of the "yes" option fluctuate dramatically, soaring from 49.5% an hour ago to the current 90.5% (a fluctuation of 41%). Please note the impact of relevant breaking news.

In the U.S. midterm elections, the Democratic Party won control of both houses of Congress, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to face fierce criticism from domestic political opponents. The opposition accused him of long publicly supporting the Republican Party, undermining Israel's traditional bipartisan support in the U.S., and using the election results to push for the formation of a new government without Netanyahu.Yair Golan, leader of Israel's center-left opposition party, stated that the election results reflect Netanyahu's negative impact within both the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. Centrist leader Yair Lapid warned that Netanyahu's continued rule would jeopardize Israel's security and international standing.U.S.-Israel relations may also face new pressures. With the Democratic Party controlling Congress, there may be pressure on Israel through hearings, oversight investigations, and budget measures. Previously, there had been a shift within the Democratic Party regarding support for Israel's military actions and U.S. aid, a trend exacerbated by the military actions jointly launched by Trump and Netanyahu against Iran. Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog plans to meet with representatives from various parties on Wednesday and Thursday to initiate the process of forming a new government. Netanyahu currently remains in office as caretaker Prime Minister.

According to a report by The New York Times, Israel shared intelligence indicating that Iran is considering the use of chemical weapons.U.S. officials have mixed opinions on this report, with some comparing it to the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in 2002; some U.S. and Gulf officials suspect that Netanyahu is trying to pressure Trump into re-engaging in the war.

According to Decrypt, the Israeli National Prosecutor's Office announced on Thursday that it has extradited Alexander Block, who holds dual citizenship in Israel and Russia (formerly known as Alexander Gurevich), to the United States. He is accused of stealing approximately $2.8 million in assets from the cross-chain bridge Nomad in 2022.Block was handed over to the U.S. authorities early that morning after failing multiple appeals in Israel. He was arrested at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport in May 2025 while preparing to fly to Russia, shortly after changing his surname and obtaining a passport under his new name.According to the U.S. extradition request disclosed in the Israeli Supreme Court ruling, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California had indicted Block in August 2023 on four counts of computer fraud, one count of transporting stolen property, and three counts of money laundering. The U.S. formally submitted the extradition request in December 2024.Prosecutors stated that a vulnerability was left in the Nomad smart contract after a software update in June 2022, allowing users to obtain tokens on one chain without locking equivalent assets on another chain. Block, using the username "Bitlik," first conducted six test transfers and then completed four major transfers around August 1, 2022, acquiring tokens worth over $2.8 million, which he transferred through multiple wallets and exchanged for other cryptocurrencies to conceal the source of the funds.The U.S. allegations claim that his actions exposed the vulnerability, leading other users to withdraw nearly all of the over $186 million in user funds controlled by Nomad's wallet. Days later, Block returned some tokens and contacted Nomad executives via Telegram, proposing to return the remaining assets in exchange for a bounty for the vulnerability, but then cut off communication, prompting Nomad to report to U.S. law enforcement. Block argued that the transactions utilized features provided by Nomad's automated system and that on-chain transfers are publicly visible, thus not constituting money laundering.The Israeli Supreme Court rejected both claims, ruling that even if the software technically allowed the operation, exploiting a programming vulnerability could still constitute illegal intrusion into a computer system, and publicly visible transactions do not necessarily identify the actual controller behind the wallets.In December 2025, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission proposed a settlement regarding Nomad's operator Illusory Systems, stating that the cross-chain bridge lost $186 million due to insufficiently tested software updates, and the settlement required it to return recovered funds to users who had not yet been compensated; Nomad recovered approximately $22 million within days after the attack.

Intel (INTC.O) CEO stated that the shutdown of the Israeli factory will affect the shipment of 10-nanometer servers in the fourth quarter.

According to Bloomberg, the prediction market platform Polymarket is investigating a series of timely and profitable trades that emerged during this week's Israeli elections. According to Bloomberg's analysis, shortly before the voting ended on Tuesday, hundreds of new accounts concentrated their predictions, believing that Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party would perform better than their competitors.After some exit polls indicated that Netanyahu's camp won more seats than earlier reports suggested, these trades quickly turned profitable, with some accounts cashing out over $100,000. This is the latest case in the prediction market that has raised concerns about insider trading, as Polymarket has previously faced extensive scrutiny from regulators and public opinion for its accurate predictions related to sports, the U.S. elections, and geopolitical events.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, in the market prediction event "Next Prime Minister of Israel" on Polymarket, the "Yes" option for the sub-market "Gadi Eizenkot" has experienced severe fluctuations, plummeting from 37.45% an hour ago to the current 21.1% (a fluctuation of 16.35%). Please note the impact of related breaking news.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, in the market Polymarket for the event "Israeli Elections: Likud Party Seat Count," the "Yes" option in the sub-market "20-24" has experienced a sharp fluctuation in winning probability, dropping from 32.5% an hour ago to the current 13.5% (a fluctuation of 19%). Please note the impact of related breaking news.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, in the market prediction event "Israeli Legislative Election Winner" on Polymarket, the "Yes" option for the sub-market "Likud" has experienced a sharp fluctuation in winning probability, soaring from 31.5% an hour ago to the current 80.5% (a fluctuation of 49%). Please note the impact of related breaking news.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring on-chain data, significant capital movements are predicted in the Polymarket. A large whale invested $67,636.84 in the event "Next Prime Minister of Israel," specifically targeting "Benjamin Netanyahu." Based on the current transaction price, the latest corresponding probability for this subject is 81.35%.

According to a report by Reuters, the American AI hardware startup Unconventional AI announced the acquisition of the Israeli AI chip company NeuReality through a combination of cash and stock, with the transaction amount not yet disclosed.Unconventional AI completed a $475 million financing round last December, at which time the company's valuation reached $4.5 billion. The company is dedicated to developing energy-efficient AI chips inspired by biological systems and is using AI tools to accelerate the research and development process. It has completed its first test chip, and the second one is also nearing completion.

According to a report by Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism from economists and political opponents for suggesting the use of cryptocurrency to help the Israeli economy cope with potential international sanctions.Netanyahu stated in an interview with Israeli Channel 10 last Friday that he is preparing for a scenario in which Israel may face broader sanctions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a television interview that he is considering using cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions imposed on Israel by other countries. In response, rival Gadi Eisenkot criticized his policy, stating that it would lead to international isolation and pose a threat to national security.

According to a report by Times of Israel, the Bank of Israel issued a statement on Saturday local time in response to Prime Minister Netanyahu's earlier proposal to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to address potential international banking sanctions, stating that cryptocurrency "cannot be a means to circumvent sanctions."The Bank of Israel stated that the best practice for the Israeli economy is to maintain economic relations with major trading partners and to strive to avoid sanctions and their economic impacts, which is a matter of political responsibility. Additionally, according to ynetnews, officials from the Israeli economic sector stated that they were not aware of the relevant plans.

According to Bloomberg, the United States is increasing deployments in preparation for a possible resumption of military strikes against Iran. Trump has repeatedly hinted that U.S. forces may resume strikes against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections and has sent a third aircraft carrier strike group and an additional 10,000 sailors and Marines toward the Persian Gulf to provide commanders with more options, although the exact timing remains uncertain.U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper visited Israel this week without prior announcement and met with Netanyahu. Israel will hold elections on October 27. Meanwhile, after Iran-backed Houthi forces expanded the conflict to Saudi Arabia, attacking airports and energy facilities, the U.S. State Department has ordered the evacuation of some diplomatic personnel and their families stationed in Saudi Arabia.A source familiar with Iran's thinking stated that Iran is preparing for a new round of bombings that may occur before and after the U.S. midterm elections and is planning retaliatory actions in the Middle East, including against Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This individual believes that the period from the end of the U.S. elections until the new Congress is sworn in in January will be the most difficult phase, with a way out being to reach an agreement that allows both sides to claim victory. Some officials from Gulf countries are concerned that the intensity of the conflict after its resumption may exceed that before the pause.Recent diplomatic attempts to end the conflict have failed to yield results. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated this week that if there is sufficient evidence showing that the U.S. genuinely wishes to reach a fair, dignified, and permanent resolution to end the conflict, Iran is willing to give diplomacy another chance, but he also noted that there is currently not much reason to expect progress.The conflict has disrupted energy transportation in the Persian Gulf, pushing Brent crude oil prices up more than 80% this year and raising U.S. gasoline prices and living costs. A Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 shows that about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran conflict, and about half of respondents expect the war to last more than a year. Reports indicate that concerns over military escalation are once again driving up oil prices and affecting the Republican Party's prospects in the midterm elections.

According to Israeli media i24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to develop a blockchain-based plan to address potential financial sanctions that Israel may face in the future. Currently, the specific details and implementation plan of the relevant proposal have not been disclosed.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the Israel Defense Forces and security forces to immediately besiege the city of Hebron and prepare for a comprehensive lockdown of the entire Judea and Samaria region starting today.

U.S. President Trump stated that there will be no bombing of Iran before the midterm elections. Meanwhile, the U.S. is evacuating some non-emergency personnel from Saudi Arabia, reducing troop strength at some bases in the Middle East, and increasing aircraft carrier and amphibious forces. The Israeli military reportedly deployed dozens of fighter jets near the Iranian border this week before turning back, and the target list for strikes is also being updated.The U.S. State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency government employees and their families only within Saudi Arabia, citing attacks on Saudi civilian targets related to Iranian-backed Houthi forces. Additionally, reports indicate that U.S. military forces have quietly reduced troop levels in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait in recent days. The Wall Street Journal states that the U.S. is dispatching another aircraft carrier to the Middle East, with a third carrier strike group coming from the Pacific, and is sending an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines. If the new forces arrive and existing vessels are not rotated out, the total number of U.S. naval vessels in the region is expected to exceed 24, currently around 20.Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly continuing to advocate for a large-scale strike against Iran, and U.S. officials even suspect that Israel is deliberately provoking Iran to fire. Israeli Channel 12 cited U.S. sources stating that earlier this week, dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft flew over Syria and Iraq, approaching the Iranian border, with a flight path highly similar to that of an attack on Iran, turning back before entering Iranian airspace, which Israel claims was a drill and a deterrent. Pakistan, Qatar, and others are intensifying mediation, but the U.S. demands discussions on the nuclear program, while Iran hopes to first discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with no breakthroughs in negotiations yet.