Preparing for Taiwan's 2026 nine-in-one elections? The Control Yuan plans to ban cryptocurrencies and tipping as political donations

In response to the 2026 Nine-in-One Elections, the Control Yuan is considering legislation to prohibit the use of cryptocurrencies and online “tipping” as political donations due to difficulties in verifying donors and price volatility. The draft is currently under review by the Executive Yuan.

2026 Nine-in-One Elections Approaching, Proposal to Ban Cryptocurrencies and Online Tipping

Taiwan’s 2026 end-of-year Nine-in-One Elections are approaching. Zhao Yongqing, Chair of the Control Yuan’s Anti-Corruption Committee, and Chen Meiyan, Director of the Property Declaration Office, held a press conference today (4/21), revealing plans to amend laws to ban cryptocurrencies and online tipping as political donations.

According to Central News Agency reports, Chen Meiyan stated that after multiple reviews by the Executive Yuan, considering the difficulty in verifying donors, the revised draft proposes banning the use of cryptocurrencies and online tipping for political donations.

Regarding cryptocurrencies, Chen Meiyan explained that due to their high price volatility, they are unsuitable for paying expenses, and because cryptocurrencies are decentralized, it is also more difficult to verify donors, so the draft leans toward banning them.

Banning tipping on platforms like YouTube is also due to the difficulty in verifying donors and the challenge of defining the amount involved in profit-sharing. If YouTubers or live streamers run for office, it would also be hard to distinguish the use of funds.

Control Yuan members highlight concerns about the political donation system

Zhao Yongqing also pointed out concerns about the political donation system during the press conference. He observed that some recipients have income exceeding their expenses. If this situation persists, it raises the question of whether the government should provide campaign expense subsidies.

Additionally, some media outlets or online influencers produce political donation rankings, comparing corporate donations to candidates. This could lead large companies to become more cautious or shift to underground donations, and foreign forces might also target companies for retribution.

Zhao Yongqing urged candidates to comply with regulations, warning that establishing unauthorized accounts will be referred for investigation, and to be mindful of violations such as exceeding donation limits or involving foreign funds.

Foreign funds infiltration has precedents; candidate received Thai Tether

Cryptocurrency involvement in elections is not new. The Public Television News Network previously reported that, during Taiwan’s 2024 general election, independent candidate Ma Zhiwei was suspected of accepting over 1 million Taiwan dollars in support via Chinese Tether (USDT), and was detained by court under anti-infiltration laws.

Today, the Control Yuan issued a press release revealing that in 2022, a total of 129 cases of political donation violations were processed, with fines totaling NT$25,017,115. Among these, 40 cases involved illegal foreign donations, with fines of NT$6,469,515; 48 cases exceeded donation limits, with fines of NT$8,635,000. Compared to 82 cases in 2018, the number of violations has significantly increased.

The Executive Yuan continues to review the draft, urging proper use of declaration systems to avoid legal violations

However, Chen Meiyan also emphasized that the draft to ban cryptocurrencies and online tipping for political donations is still under review and will be finalized after approval by the Executive Yuan.

The Control Yuan also reminded that from April 25, candidates for directly elected mayors, county and city mayors, and councilors can accept donations after obtaining permission to establish dedicated accounts. The Control Yuan urges candidates to make full use of the online political donation declaration system to verify the source of funds and avoid penalties for accepting illegal donations.

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