Taiwan blocks crypto election betting platforms

TLDR

Taiwan has ordered domestic internet providers to block access to crypto-linked election betting platforms such as Coinbases prediction markets and Kalshi ahead of its 28 November local elections.

1. Taiwanese authorities obtained a court order to block Coinbase and Kalshi websites, citing suspected violations of election gambling laws and concerns over overseas interference.
2. The move treats crypto prediction markets as illegal election betting, with penalties that can include prison for both bettors and platform operators and onchain tracing of users.
3. This adds to a broader global crackdown on crypto prediction markets, so users should expect fragmented access depending on their jurisdiction and upcoming elections.

Deep Dive

1. What Taiwan Has Blocked

Taiwans Criminal Investigation Bureau sought and obtained a New Taipei District Court order authorizing the telecoms regulator and internet registry to block domestic access to Coinbase and Kalshi ahead of local elections on 28 November.

Reports say Coinbase users in Taiwan began experiencing access problems around 14 October, while the order itself was described in an article published on 15 October that detailed how authorities had already blocked domestic access to Coinbase and Kalshi.

A separate report notes that the block was implemented specifically in the context of an investigation into election betting and that it covers the platforms websites, not just individual markets, even though the core concern is contracts on Taiwanese races such as those listed for Taiwans November elections.

2. Law, Penalties And User Exposure

The legal basis is Taiwans Public Officials Election and Recall Act, which prohibits operating gambling for profit based on election or recall outcomes over the internet or other electronic means.

A 2023 amendment allows up to six months in prison or a fine for bettors and up to five years in prison for operators, with higher fines, for election gambling conducted online under this Act.

Taiwan had already blocked Polymarkets domain in 2023 and again in 2024, and prosecutors have used public blockchain data to identify bettors, confiscate USDC wagers and impose detention or conditional penalties on individuals who bet on Taiwan elections using these platforms.

3. Implications For Prediction Markets And Crypto

Kalshis own member agreement lists Taiwan as a restricted jurisdiction and formally bars people in Taiwan from trading, yet it still publicly listed markets on Taiwans local races, creating tension between platform rules and local regulators tolerance for visibility of those markets as highlighted by coverage of Kalshis Taiwan listings.

Coinbases prediction markets product is operated via Kalshi and is primarily aimed at U.S. users, but Taiwans action shows that other countries can respond by blocking access entirely when election integrity is at stake, regardless of where the platform is regulated.

The same reports note that South Korea and U.S. authorities have also pursued cases involving Polymarket and Kalshi, suggesting a broader regulatory pattern where crypto prediction markets are increasingly treated as gambling or unlicensed derivatives rather than harmless information markets.

Conclusion

Taiwans decision to block crypto election betting platforms shows regulators are willing to apply existing gambling and election laws directly to crypto prediction markets, not just to traditional online casinos.

For crypto users and platforms, the main takeaway is that legal risk and access can change quickly around politically sensitive events, and prediction markets sit near the top of regulators watchlists whenever elections are involved.