BIG BREAKING NEWS 🚨

🇳🇱 Netherlands' prospective State Secretary for Finance, Nathalie van Berkel (D66), has withdrawn her candidacy and resigned from her parliamentary role amid a major scandal.

She was nominated to help implement the controversial new "Box 3" tax reform — including a 36% tax on actual returns from assets like stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, which can include unrealized (paper) gains — set to take effect in 2028 after recent parliamentary approval.$BTC

The resignation follows revelations that Van Berkel misrepresented her educational qualifications on her CV and LinkedIn for years. She claimed (or implied) a master's degree in public administration from Leiden University, but she only completed a propedeuse (introductory phase) at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (HBO level) and never finished the Leiden master's admission process or the full program.

Multiple media outlets, including De Volkskrant and NL Times, exposed the discrepancies, leading to her quick decision to step down on February 16-17, 2026, just days before she was due to be sworn in.

This development has sparked widespread discussion, especially in crypto and investment communities, as her role would have directly involved overseeing the contentious unrealized gains taxation rules.