Canada’s federal government introduced the Strong and Free Elections Act to ban cryptocurrency donations to political parties. The move responds to fears that foreign actors could use digital assets to secretly influence Canadian elections.
The bill would also prohibit contributions via money orders and prepaid cards. It expands restrictions on anonymous, untraceable funding in a bid to protect electoral integrity.
Steven MacKinnon, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, said the legislation is designed to counter foreign interference and strengthen election security.
This is not the first attempt at such a ban. A similar proposal in 2024 failed to advance past the second reading in Parliament.
Currently, crypto donations are legal in Canada and regulated like property contributions. However, a 2024 report by Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault urged a complete ban, citing difficulty in identifying contributors.
Violators under the new rules could face penalties up to twice the value of the donation, with additional fines of $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
The bill also seeks to expand prohibitions on deepfake content targeting candidates, following incidents during the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle.