When a Taiwan Crypto Platform Blocks Your Withdrawal

You try to withdraw coins or cash from a platform serving customers in Taiwan. The request stays pending. Support stops replying, asks for another payment, closes the account, or announces that the business has collapsed. You still need to know who holds the assets, what the platform promised, and what can be preserved.

A record of the account as it looks now may matter if it changes later. A displayed balance is useful evidence, but it does not by itself identify a wallet under your control or prove that the operator still holds the displayed assets. Your legal options in Taiwan turn on the contracting entity, its assets, the account terms, and whether the facts suggest a civil breach, suspected crime, or both.

The company behind the platform

The Securities and Futures Bureau's VASP page is marked as updated on September 29, 2026. The full legal name of the company you contracted with and its Taiwan unified business number (統一編號) need to be matched to the list. The app name or trading brand is not enough. The linked PDF shows which categories of virtual-asset service the company has registered to provide.

The page distinguishes operators that completed AML registration, one that applied to cancel its own registration, and operators from the old compliance-declaration system that did not complete registration and can no longer provide virtual-asset services. A dated copy of the relevant entry and the platform's own legal-entity disclosure belong in your records.

The list shows operators’ anti-money-laundering registration status. It is not a promise that you can recover the balance, or that every act of the company is lawful. Article 3 of the FSC registration regulation requires registration by business category and expressly says a VASP still needs any permission required under other laws. Even for registered firms, the FSC's official bulletin warns that “虛擬資產無漲跌幅限制容易暴漲暴跌，交易風險高” (virtual assets have no daily price limit and trading risk is high).

A missing name warrants serious investigation. It does not, on its own, settle questions about the platform's cross-border conduct or your contractual counterparty.

Registration duties and the new Act

Article 6 of the Money Laundering Control Act requires a VASP to complete the required AML registration before providing virtual-asset services. An overseas operator providing those services in Taiwan also needs a Taiwan company or branch registration and the relevant AML registration. Under the fourth paragraph, providing services without the required registration, or continuing to provide them after revocation, is a criminal offence punishable by up to two years' imprisonment, detention, or a fine of up to NT$5 million, alone or combined. Whether a particular exchange has committed that offence depends on the facts.

The FSC's VASP registration regulation implements that scheme. Article 13 requires registered VASPs to establish a complaint process and handle customer disputes fairly and promptly; Articles 14 and 15 address disclosures and records. A request to a registered operator for its complaint procedure and a written explanation of the hold should cite the exact withdrawal and account identifiers. You should not assume that those duties give you an immediate right to bypass a documented, lawful restriction on the account. The reason for the restriction still needs to be checked.

The Legislative Yuan passed the Virtual Asset Service Act on June 30, 2026, and it was promulgated on July 22. The FSC's official law page, however, still marks its provisions as not implemented, and Article 56 leaves the effective date to the Executive Yuan. As of September 30, 2026, the Act's future licensing and civil-liability provisions should not be treated as already in force. The current AML registration rules above remain the starting point for this check.

The account records

The records to download include your account history, deposits, trades, withdrawal requests, rejection messages, fiat bank transfers, and identity-verification submissions, together with the displayed balance and its timestamps and currency units.

Transaction hashes, public-chain explorer links for transfers, and wallet addresses belong in the same record. A hash proves a chain event; ownership and the platform's obligation need further evidence. The terms of service and risk notices that applied when you opened the account belong alongside any later version, emails, support tickets, and chats. Record the exact legal name on each receipt, invoice and website footer, and the exact legal name of the payee for each bank transfer.

A simple timeline starts with when you paid and what was credited, then follows the withdrawal request, the platform's reply, and any new demand for a “release” payment. Where possible, the saved material should include original files and headers, not just cropped screenshots.

If records are at risk of disappearing, Code of Civil Procedure Article 368 permits an application to preserve evidence where it may be lost or become hard to use. It also covers certain examinations or the preservation of documents where there is a legal interest and a need. A Taiwan lawyer can assess whether the evidence and court requirements fit your case.

A civil claim needs the right defendant

The starting point is the identity of the party that promised custody, exchange, redemption, or withdrawal. Whether you have a claim for delivery or payment depends on the contract, the account rules and what the operator actually did. A displayed token quantity may require valuation and proof of ownership.

Civil Code Article 229 addresses delay when performance is due, including the role of a demand when no fixed date was set. Article 227 addresses incomplete performance for which the debtor is responsible. The remedy for a blocked withdrawal depends on what the platform promised and why the withdrawal is on hold.

A precise written demand for the withdrawal or a reasoned account of the hold, together with proof of delivery, helps document the dispute. If the platform has shut down, identifying the legal entity and any reachable Taiwan assets becomes urgent. A judgment against the wrong company is of little practical use.

For a monetary claim, Article 522 allows an application for provisional attachment to preserve later enforcement. Article 523 requires a risk that enforcement will become impossible or very difficult. Under Article 526, the creditor must make a prima facie showing of the claim and the reason for attachment; the court may require security. The platform's silence is evidence to evaluate, not an automatic attachment order.

If the counterparty or the assets are abroad, jurisdiction and enforcement are separate questions. For a foreign judgment that may later need to be enforced against Taiwan assets, see enforcing a foreign judgment in Taiwan.

When the evidence suggests a crime

If the facts point to deception, misappropriation, forged records, or unregistered Taiwan operations, the same evidence needs to be preserved for any report to Taiwan police or prosecutors. The report should explain what happened and identify the wallets, people, and companies involved. A failed withdrawal is not, by itself, a reason to call it fraud. The AML offence in Article 6 is distinct from any offence involving your assets.

A criminal investigation can obtain evidence or trace transfers. Filing a report does not itself return the assets or replace a civil claim.

If someone demands another transfer to “unlock” a withdrawal, the demand needs to be saved and checked before any payment. The FSC's bulletin specifically warns about supposed unfreezing fees, deposits and taxes used in scams.

Getting help in Taiwan

Hovering International Law Firm can review the contracting entity, the current FSC entry, your documents and any leads on assets in Taiwan. The firm can then discuss a demand, evidence preservation, provisional relief, or a report, where the facts support it.

For a first consultation with Attorney Wei Tseng (曾雋崴) about your Taiwan case, email wei@hoveringlaw.com.tw with a short timeline, the platform's legal name, account and withdrawal records, terms, chats, and transaction hashes.

The office is at 7F-2, No. 35, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City 103, Taiwan (103 臺北市大同區承德路一段35號7樓之2). The next step depends on the evidence and on where the responsible party and the assets are located.

Official sources

• FSC Securities and Futures Bureau, VASP page (updated September 29, 2026).
• FSC, VASP AML-registration regulation.
• Money Laundering Control Act, Article 6.
• FSC, Virtual Asset Service Act and effective-date clause.
• FSC press release (June 30, 2026): Legislative Yuan passes the Virtual Asset Service Act.
• FSC bulletin (November 2025 issue) on registration and investment risks.
• Civil Code, Article 227 and Article 229.
• Code of Civil Procedure, Article 368, Article 522, Article 523, and Article 526.

Checked: September 30, 2026