Canada Advances Bill to Ban Cryptocurrency Political Donations

Canada's Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, passed second reading on April 27, 2026, with Conservative Party support and now advances to committee review. The legislation would prohibit cryptocurrency contributions to political campaigns, along with money orders and prepaid payment products, citing their difficulty to trace and verify donor identities. Canada's Chief Electoral Officer recommended the ban in November 2024 after previously suggesting tighter regulation in 2022, emphasizing pseudo-anonymity concerns. The move follows the United Kingdom's similar 2026 ban and contrasts with the United States, where the Federal Election Commission has permitted crypto donations since 2014. Despite Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's crypto-friendly campaign positioning, no major Canadian federal party has publicly accepted cryptocurrency donations, and none have been disclosed in recent elections.

Bill C-25's Parliamentary Advancement and Provisions

• ▪Bill C-25's cryptocurrency donation ban would apply to registered parties, electoral district associations, candidates, leadership and nomination contestants, and third parties that run election advertising
• ▪Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, passed second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, April 27, 2026
• ▪Bill C-25 groups cryptocurrency, money orders, and prepaid payment products as funding methods that are difficult to trace
• ▪Kevin Lamoureux was Bill C-25's lead defender on the floor during parliamentary debate
• ▪Under Bill C-25, recipients of illegal cryptocurrency contributions would have 30 days to return them or remit them to the Receiver General
• ▪Bill C-25 would prohibit political contributions made in cryptocurrency, money orders, and prepaid payment products
• ▪Bill C-25 was referred to committee for further review after passing second reading

Limited Political Debate and Conservative Response

• ▪Kevin Lamoureux's opening speech on Bill C-25 discussed AI deepfakes, foreign interference, and administrative penalties but did not mention cryptocurrency
• ▪Cryptocurrency donations never became a central point of contention during Bill C-25 debate
• ▪Several Conservative Members of Parliament raised questions about political financing rules and how new restrictions would be applied under Bill C-25

Historical Context and International Comparison of Crypto Donation Policies

• ▪Bill C-65 was the predecessor to Bill C-25 and contained identical cryptocurrency language
• ▪The United Kingdom passed a law banning cryptocurrency donations earlier in 2026
• ▪Bill C-65 died when Parliament was prorogued in January 2025
• ▪Elections Canada classified cryptocurrency donations as non-cash, in-kind contributions similar to property in 2019
• ▪Canada's Chief Electoral Officer shifted to recommending an outright prohibition of cryptocurrency donations in November 2024
• ▪Canada's Chief Electoral Officer recommended tighter regulation of cryptocurrency donations in 2022
• ▪The Federal Election Commission has permitted cryptocurrency donations to American campaigns since 2014

Perspective of Kevin Lamoureux and Liberal government supporters

• ▪The Liberal government frames Bill C-25 primarily as a response to AI deepfakes and foreign interference rather than cryptocurrency concerns

Perspective of Conservative Party of Canada

• ▪The Conservative Party's support for Bill C-25 represents a departure from Pierre Poilievre's previous crypto-friendly campaign messaging

Perspective of International election regulators

• ▪The United Kingdom's 2026 cryptocurrency donation ban reflects concerns that digital assets enable foreign actors to conceal their involvement in domestic elections