Taiwan Court Hits "Block" Button on Coinbase and Kalshi Over Election Bets 🗳️

A New Taipei court has ordered domestic website blocks on Coinbase and U.S.-based prediction market Kalshi after Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau flagged both platforms for suspected election-related gambling for profit. The ruling, issued weeks before Taiwan's November 28 local elections, cites alleged violations of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, a statute that imposes up to six months in prison on bettors and up to five years on operators running gambling businesses tied to election or recall outcomes.

Some Coinbase users in Taiwan reported losing access to the site as early as October 14, according to user accounts referenced in court filings. The Criminal Investigation Bureau characterized the blocks as a consumer protection and election integrity measure and confirmed it had requested the restrictions through the court process. The action extends a pattern of regulatory pressure on prediction market operators in the region, following earlier moves against Polymarket in both Taiwan and South Korea.

Kalshi, founded in 2018, operates as a CFTC-regulated designated contract market in the United States offering event contracts on elections, economics and other outcomes, while Coinbase Markets operates the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and is not a traditional prediction venue. The court order adds Coinbase to the enforcement action despite its primary role as a digital asset trading platform rather than an election-betting operator, raising questions about how the platform is alleged to have hosted or enabled the wagering activity. Taiwanese authorities have not publicly detailed the technical basis used to attribute election betting activity to Coinbase.

The blocks do not affect Coinbase's global operations, and Kalshi remains accessible to users outside Taiwan under its existing U.S. regulatory framework. Both companies have not issued public statements on the Taiwanese court order at the time of reporting.