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Canada’s federal government has proposed a total ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, citing concerns that foreign entities could exploit the technology to interfere in elections.
Known as the Strong and Free Elections Act, the bill was introduced on Thursday and proposed to amend the Canada Elections Act to prohibit political parties and third parties involved in the election process from accepting donations in crypto, money orders and prepaid cards to prevent anonymous and “hard to trace contributions.”
The bill's sponsor, Steven MacKinnon, the leader of the government in the House of Commons, said in an X statement on Thursday that the measures are intended to block foreign interference and other threats to elections.
“With the introduction of the Strong and Free Elections Act, new investments to counter foreign threats and stronger government coordination, we are acting to ensure our elections remain free, fair and secure at all times,” he said.
Canada is not alone in its concerns. The UK government also announced plans for a moratorium on crypto donations on Thursday, following an independent review and pressure from senior politicians.
First attempt at banning crypto donations failed
The current Strong and Free Elections Act had its first reading in the House of Commons on Thursday. To become law, it must progress through several readings and a committee stage in that chamber, then pass through the Senate before reaching the Governor General of Canada for royal assent.
A similar bill was proposed in 2024 by Dominic LeBlanc, then minister of public safety, but it failed to advance past the second reading in the House of Commons and ultimately died.
Crypto political donations in Canada have been permitted since 2019 and are treated similarly to property donations. 
However, a 2024 report by Stéphane Perrault, the chief electoral officer, recommended a ban on crypto political donations altogether on the grounds that it “poses challenges in identifying a contributor.”
Penalties could be up to twice the amount contributed
If the proposed legislation becomes law, contributions made using any of the banned payment methods must be returned, destroyed or delivered to the chief electoral officer. 
Penalties for violations could include up to twice the amount contributed, plus $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporate entities.
The bill also proposes expanding existing bans on realistic deepfakes that impersonate electoral candidates to mislead voters. The issue gained attention in the lead-up to the 2024 US elections, with one reported case involving a deepfake of then-President Biden urging voters not to participate.
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Major Bitcoin mining operations are redirecting capital at scale into artificial intelligence data centers as traditional mining returns deteriorate. TheEnergyMag analyst Wolfie Zhao characterized the shift as part of a trillion-dollar AI infrastructure build cycle that overshadows crypto market expansion.
The seven largest technology companies are projected to deploy over $600 billion combined toward AI initiatives this year. Mining firms with high-performance computing capabilities are simultaneously accelerating their own infrastructure investments.
IREN, formerly Iris Energy, reported roughly $800 million in property and equipment spending during its latest quarter. The Nasdaq-listed miner has aggressively expanded beyond Bitcoin operations into AI-focused data center capacity.
Analysis from TheEnergyMag found IREN spent more capital building AI infrastructure and acquiring GPU hardware in one year than it invested in expanding Bitcoin mining operations across three years following its public listing. Fourth quarter 2025 marked peak spending as the company's AI pivot accelerated.
Multiple traditional mining operations are pursuing similar strategies. MARA Holdings, Riot Platforms, HIVE Digital Technologies, and Bitdeer Technologies have all shifted resources toward AI and high-performance computing to offset compressed mining margins.
The past year proved particularly challenging for the mining sector as revenue collapsed while debt burdens climbed. This downturn followed a sharp Bitcoin correction beginning in October 2025, with prices sliding from above $126,000 to briefly touching below $60,000 in February.
Bitdeer's fourth quarter 2025 results, released on Thursday, described the period as a strategic turning point. Chief business officer Matt Kong said the company views its power infrastructure as valuable for capturing AI computing demand as supply-demand imbalances widen globally.
HIVE Digital Technologies CEO Frank Holmes argued in Forbes that miners hold competitive advantages in the AI data center race. Constructing large-scale AI facilities requires years, while mining operations already control essential inputs, including power contracts, land, and operational infrastructure suitable for repurposing toward high-performance computing.
The industry transition reflects miners seeking revenue beyond block rewards and transaction fees. Companies with established energy agreements and functioning data centers are positioning to serve AI model training and inference workloads as demand accelerates.$BNB
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#BitcoinMiningIndustryShiftstoAIInfrastructure

The Pentagon has prepared plans for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran as thousands of US troops have deployed to the Middle East, pending a decision by President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported.

Officials said the plans could mark "a new phase of the war" that may be "significantly more dangerous" for US forces than the first four weeks of fighting, according to The Washington Post.
Any ground mission would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could involve raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
They said the operations could expose troops to "drones and missiles, ground fire and improvised explosives."
"It's the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, according to the report.
"It does not mean the President has made a decision."
Discussions have included potential operations targeting Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, and coastal raids near the Strait of Hormuz to neutralise threats to shipping.
Officials said possible missions could last "weeks, not months," while others estimated "a couple of months."
Trump has said, "I'm not putting troops anywhere," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that it "is not going to be a prolonged conflict" and could achieve objectives "without ground troops."
Thirteen US troops have been killed and more than 300 wounded in attacks across the region since US-Israel war on Iran began in late February, officials said.
Regional escalation has continued since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,300 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
These.news are very bad for crypto market $BNB #Pentagonpreparesforweeksofground operationsinIran
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