Taiwan blocks Coinbase, Kalshi over election betting fears

Taiwan blocks Coinbase Kalshi access in the latest move against election wagering on prediction markets. A New Taipei court authorized the island's communications regulator and internet registry to cut off both sites inside Taiwan, Bloomberg News reported after reviewing the ruling. Users in Taiwan started having trouble loading Coinbase's website on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

What happened

The order came at the request of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, which suspects the sites breached the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, which prohibits running gambling for profit on the outcome of an election or recall, the Taipei Times reported. The bureau said it acted to protect election integrity and prevent "overseas interference," without giving further detail.

Crypto Briefing reported the order's reference number as 115年度聲扣字第55號 and said visitors to coinbase.com were redirected to a block page citing the court ruling. The block appeared to target the web domain; access through the Coinbase mobile app reportedly continued. Coinbase's status page still listed both the website and the app as operational globally, the outlet said, and Taiwan has used similar court-ordered blocks against election-related betting sites before.

A Coinbase spokesperson said the company was aware of access issues for some users in Taiwan and was investigating, while a Kalshi spokesperson said the company does not allow trading in Taiwan, according to the Bloomberg report carried by The Straits Times. Polymarket has already been blocked in Taiwan.

Why it matters

Taiwan is among the places that criminalize election betting outright. Under a 2023 amendment to the election law, bettors face up to six months in prison and gambling operators up to five years. Authorities have stepped up scrutiny of illicit financial flows before the Nov. 28 vote, which will be the first island-wide test for President William Lai since he took office in 2024.

Officials have warned that money from mainland China could enter through underground channels to influence elections, but they have not alleged that Coinbase or Kalshi handled Chinese funds. The case shows how a U.S.-regulated event contract can be treated as illegal gambling abroad, a gap that matters as Coinbase pushes into prediction markets through its partnership with Kalshi.

The pattern is familiar. Polymarket is fighting a Dutch ban in court, while Kalshi is courting U.S. voters with tools like My Ballot. When Taiwan blocks Coinbase Kalshi sites, it signals that political markets travel badly across borders.

What's next

Now that Taiwan blocks Coinbase Kalshi web access, watch whether the block is extended to the Coinbase app or to other venues listing contracts on Taiwanese races, and whether Coinbase geofences election markets for Taiwanese users. Any prosecution of local bettors would raise the stakes further.

Taiwanese voters will choose officials ranging from mayors to village chiefs on Nov. 28, so the order is likely to stay in force at least until then.