Crypto boss: ‘Pack up your bags and leave’
Monday, Jun 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crypto dude whose divisive, controversial and Trump-supporting industry (not him) spent $10 million to defeat Pritzker’s lt. governor’s bid for US Senate and dumped $800,000 against state Sen. Robert Peters’ congressional campaign and $2.5 million against successful congressional candidate Rep. La Shawn Ford (who was endorsed by the Illinois House Speaker) complains about a 0.2% tax on the value of all crypto trades that’ll raise maybe $60 million…
A new digital asset tax tucked into the Illinois budget at the last minute threatens the state’s potential to become a major cryptocurrency hub, DRW’s Don Wilson said today.
“That just tells everybody, ‘Just leave. Pack up your bags and leave,’” Wilson, founder and CEO of the local trading firm, said during a Crain’s Q&A event for business leaders. “It sends the message, ‘We do not want you here.’” […]
“At a time when corporations are benefitting from Trump tax cuts and continue posting record profits, asking those firms to pay their fair share is a commonsense step to level the playing field to maintain fiscal stability and mitigate the impact working families and communities across Illinois,” the governor’s office said in a statement. […]
He added he had “zero inkling” a tax was coming as legislators were finishing the budget. “Everybody in the industry is caught off guard,” Wilson said. “Literally, in the middle of the night, they slipped it in.”
DRW has no Statehouse lobbyist (they actually do have one). Wilson contributed $150K to stop the graduated income tax constitutional amendment, and gave almost $100K to Bruce Rauner.
I dunno, maybe build some relationships and mend some fences.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 9:44 am:
Look, if crypto is such a great investment, just buy and hold it. No tax if you do not sell. /s
- TheRealDownstate - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:01 am:
Jeff Glass is the registered lobbyist for Cumberland DRW
- Big Dipper - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:12 am:
Middle of the night as if he wouldn’t oppose it if it had been passed at noon.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:14 am:
= “It sends the message, ‘We do not want you here.’” […]=
Then take the hint please.
Crypto is and always will be a scam.
- btowntruth from forgottonia - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:16 am:
My sympathy for him knows no beginning.
Does he need that 0.2% to help renovate that mansion he can’t seem to sell?
- Irreverent - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:20 am:
“Cryptocurrency hub” is just another way of saying “burning power and driving up costs for zero productivity.” What a stupid “industry.”
- SDrive - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:25 am:
CBOE/CME are next - IL keeps pushing.
- Montrose - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:38 am:
The weird free market, libertarian utopia that crypto guys imagine is adorable. .2% is an industry killer? Oh buddy. This is just the beginning.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:40 am:
As Bill Maher said-
“I’ve read about it. I’ve had it explained to me and I still don’t understand it…and neither do you.”
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:41 am:
Not sure how you could convince someone to lobby the government when government is something they don’t believe in.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:42 am:
“IL keeps pushing.”
Yet, Oracle is leaving “business friendly” Texas for Nashville.
There’s always someone willing to work for less, and states always willing to give away more.
- Irreverent - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:43 am:
@Flyin’
Way too many people see a race to the bottom and say “we gotta get in on that, look how fast they’re going!”
- very old soil - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 10:52 am:
They can always move to Hammond.
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 11:08 am:
Suggest Mr. Wilson read “A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear” … .
- Leslie K - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 11:38 am:
==“It sends the message, ‘We do not want you here.’==
Correct. Bye.
- B - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 12:34 pm:
Then leave.
If a .2% tax(should be higher) is reason to lose out on all of the profits in the 5th most populated state then you arent smart enough to operate here anyway.
The race to the bottom makes everyone a loser. Anyone who wants to forego profits because if a tax please leave, someone else will take your place willing to pay that tax or higher while profitting millions/billions still.
Byeeee
- JS Mill - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 12:53 pm:
=There’s always someone willing to work for less, and states always willing to give away more.=
This.
“Business Friendly” code for “anti-worker”.
- granville - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 2:14 pm:
The ads they ran and allegations they made against La Shawn Ford were appalling. It’s not even my district, I don’t even have any sentiments toward Ford one way or another, but I watched these ads with my mouth agape. I will back every anti-crypto law and politician I come across after watching these slobs try to destroy a guy over preserving a small sliver of their speculative profits.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 2:52 pm:
Crypto wants to be here for the same reason quantum computing, data centers and CME want to be here.
We are still the center of the nation and the smart place to hub your transportation network. It does not matter if you are transporting pork bellies or terabytes.
Especially when miliseconds matter, you want to be in the middle of the country, as close to an internet hub as possible.
Chicago and Dallas are the only two (of ten) data center hubs not located on either the East or West coast. Heat is a major problem in Dallas.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 3:35 pm:
===CBOE/CME are next - IL keeps pushing.===
The Board of Trade is basically as old as Chicago itself and existed to solve actual problems for farmers to bring their goods to market. Crypto is relatively new fad and solves no actual problem for any actual human being. Apples and inedible plastic apples.
- Public Service Excellence - Monday, Jun 8, 26 @ 4:02 pm:
Good bye and good riddance.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jun 9, 26 @ 1:03 am:
“Crypto is and always will be a scam.”
Crypto is the equivalent to a non-fungible token.
What is a NFT? Not a f..king thing.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 9, 26 @ 1:24 am:
===Crypto is the equivalent to a non-fungible token===
They’re taxing my apes!