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 amendments to prohibit using cryptocurrencies and online “tipping” as political donations, taking into account factors such as donor-verification difficulties and price fluctuations. The draft is currently under review by the Executive Yuan.

The 2026 Nine-in-One Elections are approaching; it is proposed to ban cryptocurrencies and online tipping

Taiwan’s 2026 end-of-year Nine-in-One Elections are coming. Zhao Yongqing, convener of the Control Yuan’s Commission on Corruption Prevention and Supervision, and Chen Meiyan, director of the Property Declaration Office, held a press conference today (4/21), revealing that amendments are being planned to prohibit cryptocurrencies and tipping online from being used as political donations.

According to a report by the Central News Agency, Chen Meiyan said that after multiple rounds of review by the Executive Yuan, given the difficulties in verifying donors, the revised draft proposes to ban the use of cryptocurrencies and online tipping methods to donate political funds.

Regarding the portion on cryptocurrencies, Chen Meiyan explained that because prices fluctuate greatly, they are not suitable for covering expenses. In addition, due to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, it is also harder to verify donors. Therefore, the draft tends toward prohibition.

Banning tipping on platforms such as YouTube is also because of the difficulty in verifying donors, and because tipping involves revenue-sharing, the amounts are hard to define. If a YouTuber or livestream host runs for office, it would also be difficult to distinguish how the funds are being used.

Members of the Control Yuan point out risks with the political donation system

At the press conference, Zhao Yongqing also pointed out concerns about the political donation system. He noted that some recipients’ income is higher than their expenses; if this situation continues, it is worth considering whether the government needs to provide campaign-expense subsidies.

In addition, some media outlets or online influencers produce political-donation rankings that compare the amounts corporations donate to candidates. This may cause large corporations to become more cautious in their donations or shift toward underground giving, and foreign forces may also carry out “reckoning after the fact” against companies.

Zhao Yongqing called on candidates to follow the rules: any establishment of dedicated accounts without authorization will be referred for investigation, and candidates must also pay attention to whether they violate contribution limits or involve donations of foreign funds, among other requirements.

There is a precedent for foreign-funds infiltration; an elected legislator candidate once received bribes in Tether

Cryptocurrency involvement in elections is not new. Previously, Public Television News reported that during Taiwan’s 2024 election period, independent legislative candidate Ma Ziqiwei was suspected of accepting more than 1,000,000 Taiwan dollars in support in the form of Chinese Tether, and the court ordered detention and a ban on leaving the premises in accordance with the Anti-Infiltration Law.

Meanwhile, a news release issued by the Control Yuan today disclosed that in 2022, the results of political-donation verification for local public office elections resulted in 129 dispositions in total, with penalty amounts reaching 25,017,115 yuan. Of these, there were 40 instances of violations involving donations of foreign funds, with penalty amounts of 6,469,515 yuan; there were 48 instances of donations exceeding the limits, with penalties totaling 8,634,500 yuan. Compared with the 82 cases in 2018, the number of penalty cases has clearly increased.

The Executive Yuan continues to deliberate the draft; urging the proper use of the reporting system to avoid breaking the law

However, Chen Meiyan also emphasized that the draft banning cryptocurrencies and online tipping political donations is still under review, and it will be finalized after the Executive Yuan approves it.

The Control Yuan’s news release also reminds that for 2026 candidates such as mayors of directly governed municipalities, county/magistrate and city mayors, and legislators, they may begin accepting donations after they set up dedicated accounts with permission starting from April 25. The Control Yuan urges candidates to make more use of the online political-donation reporting system, and to verify the source of funds to ensure they do not face punishment for receiving illegal donations.

Further Reading:
CTi News anchor detained! Mirror Weekly: Lin Chenyou’s account has abnormal cash flows, and Tether also appears?

Selling 8,000 Tether to Taiwan! An officer re-films classified materials for “good-sounding” China-related individuals