On March 26, 2026, the Government of Canada tabled the proposed Strong and Free Elections Act, a set of amendments to the Canada Elections Act aimed at tightening political financing rules for federal parties, third parties, candidates and donors. The Canada Elections Act is administered by the Chief Electoral Officer and enforced by the Commissioner of Canada Elections. The bill would prohibit parties and third parties from accepting donations in forms deemed difficult to trace, explicitly including cryptocurrency, money orders and prepaid cards. It would also require funding for third-party political activity to come from Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with a limited exception for minimal donations. Beyond donation rules, the draft legislation would strengthen privacy and vendor safeguards around party-held personal data, tighten restrictions on foreign funding channels, and increase administrative monetary penalties to deter illicit financing. The proposal sets maximum fines of up to $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for organizations. The bill would also extend enforcement reach outside Canada and give the Commissioner of Canada Elections expanded investigative powers to pursue cross-border funding and the misuse of digital tools that could affect electoral integrity.

Canada's Bill C25 would bar cryptocurrency donations across the federal political system, alongside money orders and prepaid cards, effectively shutting a fundraising avenue that has seen virtually no use since crypto donations were first allowed in 2019. The Chief Electoral Officer, who previously leaned toward tighter oversight, is now recommending a full prohibition, pointing to crypto's pseudo-anonymity and the challenges of verifying donor identities. Under the proposal, campaigns would have 30 days to return illegal crypto contributions. Penalties would include fines of up to twice the contribution's value, plus up to $100,000 for corporations. The move comes after the U.K. recently imposed a moratorium on crypto political donations amid concerns about foreign funding.

BNP Paribas has announced the launch of six exchange-traded notes (ETNs) tied to crypto assets, giving investors a way to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum without holding the tokens directly. The notes are linked to the performance of the underlying crypto assets, issued by a number of well-known asset managers, and structured to comply with the MiFID II regulatory framework aimed at strengthening investor protections. The ETNs will be available for subscription in France from March 30, 2026, for retail clients, entrepreneurs and private banking customers, with a phased rollout planned for additional wealth-management client segments.

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a civil lawsuit against prediction-market platform Kalshi, accusing the company of violating state gambling and consumer-protection laws by offering bets tied to events including sports, elections and wars. The complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, seeks to bar Kalshi from operating in Washington, recover money residents allegedly lost, and levy civil penalties. State officials pointed to prior Kalshi advertising that suggested users could get around local restrictions to wager on NFL games, which the suit describes as evidence of a "knowing" violation. Kalshi said it operates as a federally regulated trading platform and is compliant, denied offering war-related markets, and said it is confident in its legal position. The Washington action adds to a growing list of legal challenges for Kalshi. The company is reportedly involved in more than 20 civil lawsuits and previously faced criminal charges from Arizona prosecutors, in what was described as the first known criminal case aimed at a prediction market. (Geekwire)

Canada has introduced legislation that would prohibit political campaigns from accepting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, framing digital assets as a "hard-to-trace" source of funds. The Strong and Free Elections Act (Bill C25), tabled on March 26, would apply across the political system, covering registered parties, candidates, campaign teams, and third-party advertisers. The proposal groups cryptocurrency assets with instruments such as drafts and prepaid payment tools. If the bill becomes law, any cryptocurrency donations received illegally would have to be returned or otherwise disposed of within 30 days. Penalties would include fines of up to twice the value of the violation, plus an additional penalty of up to $100,000. The bill is currently at first reading in Parliament. Canada has allowed crypto donations since 2019, though usage appears to have been limited, with no disclosed contributions reported in the 2021 or 2025 elections. Regulators have long argued that crypto's pseudonymous design could weaken election transparency, and the government's proposal would effectively end the practice. The move follows the UK's recent decision to suspend crypto political donations over concerns that foreign money could enter the system through digital assets. (CoinDesk)

A key leadership change inside the White House could influence the direction of U.S. crypto policy. White House crypto lead David Sacks is leaving his current post and will take up a role on a Presidential Advisory Committee. Watch the full video for details.

The Canadian government has introduced Bill C-25 to prohibit political donations made using cryptocurrencies, money orders and prepaid cards across the federal electoral system. The proposal cites limited traceability and difficulties verifying donor identities. Crypto donations have been allowed since 2019 but have seen little uptake. Canada's Chief Electoral Officer, who previously favoured tighter oversight, now supports an outright ban.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has imposed sanctions on Xinbi, a Chinese-language crypto “guarantee” marketplace accused of processing $19.9 billion in illicit transactions between 2021 and 2025. Effective March 26, 2026, the move is designed to isolate Xinbi from the UK financial system and disrupt a sprawling, crypto-enabled fraud network. Under the UK's consolidated sanctions framework, the designation triggers an asset freeze on any UK-linked holdings and prohibits UK banks, crypto firms and individuals from transacting with Xinbi. The restrictions are enforced through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), meaning transactions routed via UK-based exchanges, custodians or payment processors would constitute a compliance breach, pushing regulated platforms toward rapid delistings and wallet blacklisting. The UK action also names Thet Li and Hu Xiaowei, and targets entities tied to Cambodia's scam-compound economy: the Cambodia-based #8 Park compound (reported capacity of up to 20,000 trafficked workers), Legend Innovation Co., and its director Eang Soklim. All are described as connected to the Prince Group network. Chainalysis, which documented the activity underpinning the designation, said the sanctions aim at an “escrow backbone” that supports large-scale fraud, citing Xinbi's alleged role in “Black U” laundering, unlicensed OTC trading, sales of compromised databases, and procurement of satellite equipment for scam compounds including #8 Park. The designation follows another major enforcement step abroad. On March 20, 2026, the FBI and Thai police froze $580 million in cryptocurrency linked to scam gangs targeting US victims, underscoring what authorities describe as a coordinated, multi-jurisdiction crackdown on fraud infrastructure. UK-linked property connected to the Prince Group network was also frozen, according to the report, echoing actions after Prince Group leader Chen Zhi was sanctioned in 2025, an event that reportedly triggered more than £1 billion in global asset freezes, including a £100 million London office building. Authorities and compliance teams are also watching for evasion. Xinbi has previously shifted operations to other apps, including SafeW and XinbiPay, after disruptions. The UK designation, paired with ongoing blockchain monitoring, is intended to track such migrations, while exchanges applying travel-rule compliance are expected to intensify screening for Xinbi-linked wallet clusters even if the network rebrands or moves platforms.

Washington state has filed suit against prediction-market platform Kalshi, arguing the company is offering gambling products while labeling them as "prediction markets" in violation of state law. Nevada previously obtained a temporary restraining order that forces Kalshi to stop offering sports, election and entertainment contracts, alongside comparable restrictions imposed on Coinbase. Kalshi says its products are federally regulated derivatives. The legal fight could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court.