Political Donations Act amendment: Control Yuan proposes banning cryptocurrency, online tipping
Taiwan's Control Yuan is considering amending the Political Donations Act to prohibit political donations via cryptocurrency and online "tipping," citing difficulties in donor verification and the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 13:23
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 13:31 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 14:48 (1h 17m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-hsin, Taipei, 21st) The direction of amendments to the Political Donations Act has garnered significant attention. Chen Mei-yen, Director of the Public Servants' Property Declaration Office of the Control Yuan, stated today that after multiple reviews by the Executive Yuan, considering the difficulty in verifying donors and the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, the current draft amendment proposes to prohibit political donations using cryptocurrency and online "tipping."
However, Chen Mei-yen said that the draft is still under review by the Executive Yuan, and the direction will become clearer after it is passed by the Executive Yuan Council.
The Control Yuan's Clean Government Committee held a press conference today to explain the audit and penalty situation for political donations in the 2022 local public official elections and precautions for participants in the 2026 elections.
Control Yuan Member Chao Yung-ching mentioned that the Political Donations Act has been implemented for over 20 years, and the system is quite mature. Although he has no specific stance, he observed some phenomena worth noting, including that some recipients' political donation income is higher than their expenditures and is still being used today. Although regulations require it to be used up within the term, he believes it is worth considering whether the government still needs to provide campaign expense subsidies if political donation income exceeds expenditures in the future.
Chao Yung-ching stated that Taiwan's political donation disclosures are very comprehensive and searchable online. Therefore, some media or internet celebrities compile rankings of political donations, comparing corporate donations to different candidates. This may cause large corporations to become more cautious in making political donations in the future, or turn to clandestine methods.
He also mentioned that external forces might target corporate political donations for retribution or sanctions; these are all aspects that various sectors can observe.
When asked about the direction of amendments to the Political Donations Act and whether control measures would be implemented for cryptocurrency and online "tipping," Chen Mei-yen, Director of the Public Servants' Property Declaration Office of the Control Yuan, stated that the Ministry of the Interior is the competent authority for the Political Donations Act, and the draft amendment is currently under review by the Executive Yuan. However, to her knowledge, the draft proposes to prohibit donors from using cryptocurrency and online "tipping" for political donations during the election period.
Chen Mei-yen explained that regarding the prohibition of online "tipping," the Ministry of the Interior had invited experts, scholars, and manufacturers for discussions and found difficulties in verifying donors, such as with foreign companies like YouTube. Furthermore, the profit-sharing ratio of "tipping" amounts can also be difficult to define.
She said that identifying identity is also difficult. For example, if a live streamer runs for election, it is hard to confirm whether the "tipping" received is due to the election campaign or their original identity as a live streamer. Therefore, the draft proposes to prohibit candidates from acquiring political donations through online "tipping."
As for cryptocurrencies, Chen Mei-yen pointed out that the Political Donations Act requires public transparency, but cryptocurrencies are inherently decentralized and not suitable tools for political donations. Practically, candidates need funds to cover expenses, and the volatile prices of cryptocurrencies make them difficult to use. Therefore, the draft also proposes to prohibit political donations using cryptocurrencies. (Editor: Hsieh Chia-chen) 1150421
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(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-hsin, Taipei, 21st) The direction of amendments to the Political Donations Act has garnered significant attention. Chen Mei-yen, Director of the Public Servants' Property Declaration Office of the Control Yuan, stated today that after multiple reviews by the Executive Yuan, considering the difficulty in verifying donors and the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, the current draft amendment proposes to prohibit political donations using cryptocurrency and online "tipping."
However, Chen Mei-yen said that the draft is still under review by the Executive Yuan, and the direction will become clearer after it is passed by the Executive Yuan Council.
The Control Yuan's Clean Government Committee held a press conference today to explain the audit and penalty situation for political donations in the 2022 local public official elections and precautions for participants in the 2026 elections.
Control Yuan Member Chao Yung-ching mentioned that the Political Donations Act has been implemented for over 20 years, and the system is quite mature. Although he has no specific stance, he observed some phenomena worth noting, including that some recipients' political donation income is higher than their expenditures and is still being used today. Although regulations require it to be used up within the term, he believes it is worth considering whether the government still needs to provide campaign expense subsidies if political donation income exceeds expenditures in the future.
Chao Yung-ching stated that Taiwan's political donation disclosures are very comprehensive and searchable online. Therefore, some media or internet celebrities compile rankings of political donations, comparing corporate donations to different candidates. This may cause large corporations to become more cautious in making political donations in the future, or turn to clandestine methods.
He also mentioned that external forces might target corporate political donations for retribution or sanctions; these are all aspects that various sectors can observe.
When asked about the direction of amendments to the Political Donations Act and whether control measures would be implemented for cryptocurrency and online "tipping," Chen Mei-yen, Director of the Public Servants' Property Declaration Office of the Control Yuan, stated that the Ministry of the Interior is the competent authority for the Political Donations Act, and the draft amendment is currently under review by the Executive Yuan. However, to her knowledge, the draft proposes to prohibit donors from using cryptocurrency and online "tipping" for political donations during the election period.
Chen Mei-yen explained that regarding the prohibition of online "tipping," the Ministry of the Interior had invited experts, scholars, and manufacturers for discussions and found difficulties in verifying donors, such as with foreign companies like YouTube. Furthermore, the profit-sharing ratio of "tipping" amounts can also be difficult to define.
She said that identifying identity is also difficult. For example, if a live streamer runs for election, it is hard to confirm whether the "tipping" received is due to the election campaign or their original identity as a live streamer. Therefore, the draft proposes to prohibit candidates from acquiring political donations through online "tipping."
As for cryptocurrencies, Chen Mei-yen pointed out that the Political Donations Act requires public transparency, but cryptocurrencies are inherently decentralized and not suitable tools for political donations. Practically, candidates need funds to cover expenses, and the volatile prices of cryptocurrencies make them difficult to use. Therefore, the draft also proposes to prohibit political donations using cryptocurrencies. (Editor: Hsieh Chia-chen) 1150421
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, transmitted, or utilized without authorization.