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Canada’s Bill C-25 Advances With Proposed Ban on Bitcoin Political Donations

According to Canada’s House of Commons, Bill C-25 cleared second reading and would bar cryptocurrency donations in federal elections, tightening political financing rules as the measure moves to committee review.

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Fact Check
The strongest evidence is from the official House of Commons sources. The bill status page titled 'An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact An Act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026' shows Bill C-25 completed 'Second Reading and Referral to Committee' on 2026-04-24. The official 'House of Commons Debates' for that sitting states that Bill C-25 would prohibit cryptocurrency contributions. These directly support the core claim that Bill C-25 cleared second reading, moved to committee, and would bar cryptocurrency donations in federal elections. CoinDesk and crypto.news independently corroborate the same facts. The only notable caveat is timing: the claim is anchored to 2026-04-27, while the House of Commons records show the second reading/referral occurred on 2026-04-24. That discrepancy does not materially undermine the substantive claim.
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Summary

Canada’s House of Commons advanced Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, by passing it at second reading and sending it to committee review. The bill would block cryptocurrency donations in federal elections, tightening rules on how political funding is handled. Earlier reported provisions said illegal crypto donations would have to be returned or, if that is not possible, forfeited to the federal treasury within 30 days. Separately, Canada is also moving ahead with broader crypto-related rules involving stablecoins, crypto funds, custody, and cold storage.

Terms & Concepts
  • Stablecoins: Cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a relatively stable value, often by being linked to a fiat currency or other reserve asset.
  • Custody: The safeguarding and management of digital assets on behalf of investors or institutions, typically by a regulated service provider.
  • Cold storage: A method of storing crypto assets offline to reduce exposure to hacks and unauthorized online access.