Expert Dialogue on Regulating the Use of Virtual Assets in Political Financing: International Approaches and Procedures in Ukraine

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is pleased to invite you to participate in an Expert Dialogue on Regulating the Use of Virtual Assets in Political Financing: international approaches and procedures in Ukraine. 
The event is scheduled for 16 March from 10:00 to 17:00 in Kyiv with an online participation option to be shared soon.  

The rapid growth of the virtual asset market and its integration into financial systems present new challenges for political finance regulation. While virtual assets expand opportunities for fundraising and participation, their pseudonymous and borderless nature creates risks during elections. They can facilitate covert foreign funding of campaigns, political advertising, and issue-based mobilization, distort competition among candidates, amplify disinformation, and support proxy actors aligned with external interests. The speed and opacity of such transactions hinder timely oversight—especially during election periods—raising the risk of undisclosed external influence and undermining public trust in electoral integrity and democratic sovereignty.

Ukrainian civil society and public authorities recognize both the innovative potential of virtual assets and the risks they pose. This underscores the need to strengthen transparency, reporting requirements, cross-border cooperation, and enforcement ahead of electoral cycles.

This event will launch a multi-stakeholder dialogue on risks and regulatory models for virtual assets in political finance, with a focus on preventing illicit cryptocurrency funding in elections. Discussions will cover:

• International practices in regulating crypto donations (including Moldova and Romania)
• Ukraine’s legal and institutional framework
• Possible regulatory approaches
• The role of oversight bodies
• Next steps

The round table format will encourage open expert exchange. An analytical brief summarizing key findings and preliminary recommendations will follow.