Crypto Leaders Oppose California’s 2026 Billionaire Tax Act

• Crypto leaders have joined other California-based billionaires in opposing the proposed local tax.
• Mismanagement is the top concern for opponents of California’s proposed 2026 billionaire tax act.
• President Trump has championed crypto legalization as an alternative asset class.

The USA state of California will begin to implement its 2026 billionaire tax act amid significant backlash. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has, however, received significant support and criticism for the proposed one-time 5% tax act on the assets of residents worth more than $1 billion.

California Conflicts With President Trump on Taxation 

California’s 2026 billionaire tax act has not aligned with President Donald Trump’s agenda. The state of California is seeking to capitalize on its wealth concentration around Silicon Valley to fund its ballooning budget for healthcare.

Governor Gavin intends to fund major public services including Medi-Cal for 15 million low-income earners using funds from the billionaires. A one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ wealth is expected to support distributed wealth, even if it is on unrealized gains.

However, President Trump has championed major tax cuts amid the country’s notable surge in tariff collections. The 2026 billionaire tax act will further escalate the conflict between California and the Trump administration.

“Billionaires have built their extraordinary fortunes with the help of California resources and were the largest beneficiaries of the federal legislation that contributed to the current state budget crisis. It therefore is both necessary and equitable to ask those who have benefited most from California’s resources to contribute proportionately to support health care, education, and nutrition in California through a one-time 5% tax on billionaire wealth,” the Act noted. 

Crypto Leaders Oppose Theft of Unrealized Gains

The crypto leaders have joined other opponents of the 2026 billionaire tax act. The general idea from the opponents is that California’s government has not accounted properly for the use of its heavy taxes during the past years. 

“Anyone who thinks the California government has a revenue problem is mathematically illiterate or part of the fraud. California does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem,” Chamath Palihapitiya argued.

Other crypto leaders led by Nic Carter, Hunter Horsey, and Jesse Powell have opposed California’s 2026 billionaire tax act due to the state’s incompetence and have threatened to leave if the bill is implemented next year.

Related: Understanding Crypto Taxes: A U.S. Taxpayer’s In-Depth Guide

Bigger Picture; Crypto’s Silver Lining

The political alignment in California has disrupted wealth distribution in Silicon Valley during the past few years. Elon Musk migrated his family of unicorns from California to Texas in the past few years.

A similar wealth migration has been observed at the global scale. The wealthy individuals invested in the crypto market have moved to jurisdictions with clear and supportive laws led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Furthermore, the crypto market is expected to outshine the precious metal industry in 2026. The capital rotation from the precious metal industry to the crypto market, led by BTC and Ethereum (ETH), will catapult more crypto investors to billionaire status.

With crypto offering better features than traditional assets, California’s move to tax billionaires will catalyze their migration to other states in 2026 and beyond. Furthermore, there are more states in the USA that have enacted supportive and clear crypto laws, which are aligned with President Trump’s crypto agenda.

Related: Ohio Approves Bitcoin Payments for State Services as Push for Crypto Reserves Grows