How crypto is taxed in the US: IRS rules for 2026, including Form 1099-DA
Crypto is property for the IRS. What's taxable, 2026 capital gains rates, cost basis and wallet-by-wallet rules, staking income and the new Form 1099-DA.
United States
Guides for readers in the United States: the rules that apply there, plus the guides that cover all three countries.
21 guides
Are staking rewards taxable? Staking taxes in the US, UK and Canada
When staking rewards count as income, how they're valued, what happens when you sell them later, and the records to keep, from IRS, HMRC and CRA guidance.
Bitcoin ATMs: how they work, what they cost, and why scammers love them
How crypto ATMs (kiosks) work, the official loss figures from the FBI and FTC, the scam scripts that send victims to them, and the rules in the US, UK and Canada.
Bitcoin ETFs explained: how they work, and how they differ from owning bitcoin
What spot bitcoin and ether ETFs and ETNs are, when they arrived in the US, Canada and the UK, and the trade-offs in fees, custody, protection and trading hours.
Centralized vs decentralized exchanges (CEX vs DEX): how they really differ
Who holds your crypto, how trades are matched, what you pay in fees, how each can fail, and how regulators and tax authorities treat them.
Crypto exchange fees explained: maker, taker, spreads, network and withdrawal fees
Every fee you can pay when you buy, sell and move crypto, how to spot the hidden ones, and a worked example of the real cost of a round trip.
Crypto leverage and derivatives: what's allowed in the US, UK and Canada
How leverage, margin, liquidation and perpetual futures work, the maths of a 10x position, and the rules: the UK retail ban, Canada's leverage limits, and the CFTC.
Crypto order types explained: market, limit, stop, stop-limit and trailing stop
What each order type does, what it guarantees and what it doesn't, with worked examples, and why crypto's 24/7 markets make stop orders trickier.
Crypto scams: the most common types and where to report them in the US, UK and Canada
How crypto investment, crypto ATM and recovery scams work, the latest official loss figures, the warning signs, and exactly where to report in the US, UK and Canada.
Crypto tax-loss harvesting: how it works in the US, UK and Canada
How selling crypto at a loss can reduce your tax bill, and the rules that limit it: the US wash-sale question, the UK 30-day rule and Canada's superficial loss rule.
Dollar-cost averaging in crypto: how it works, with worked examples
What dollar-cost averaging is, why your average cost ends up below the average price, how it compares with investing a lump sum, and the costs and risks to watch.
Giving crypto as a gift or to charity: the tax rules in the US, UK and Canada
Whether giving crypto triggers tax, what the person receiving it inherits, the US $19,000 gift exclusion for 2026, and how donations to charity are treated.
Hot vs cold crypto wallets: which one do you need?
What a crypto wallet really holds, the difference between exchange accounts, hot wallets and cold wallets, and how to split your crypto between them safely.
How to check if a crypto exchange is registered in the US, UK or Canada
The official registers to check before you use a crypto exchange in the US, the UK or Canada, what registration does and doesn't protect, and the warning signs.
How to choose a crypto exchange: a 9-point checklist before you sign up
What to check before you open an account: registration where you live, who holds your crypto, fees, security, withdrawals, support and the protections you don't get.
How to store your crypto seed phrase safely (and the mistakes that cost people everything)
What a recovery (seed) phrase is, safe ways to back it up, the mistakes that lead to theft or loss, and how to plan so your family can access your crypto.
Is your crypto insured? FDIC, SIPC, FSCS and CIPF explained
Which protection schemes cover crypto in the US, UK and Canada (almost none), what they do cover, such as cash and crypto ETFs, and the claims to be wary of.
SIM swap attacks and 2FA: how to protect your crypto accounts
How criminals take over your phone number to break into exchange accounts, what the FBI and FCC say, and the 2FA and carrier settings that stop it.
Stablecoins explained: how they keep their value, the risks, and the new rules
What stablecoins are, how fiat-backed coins hold their peg, what can go wrong, and how the US GENIUS Act, the UK's new regime and Canada's CSA treat them.
The bitcoin halving explained: what it is, why it happens and when the next one is
Why bitcoin's block subsidy halves every 210,000 blocks, the 21 million cap, every halving so far, the next one, and what it means for the price.
What is crypto staking? How it works, the ways to stake, and the risks
How proof-of-stake staking works, the four ways to stake, from solo validators to exchanges, where rewards come from, and the risks, tax and rules to know.