With bitcoin, there is a risk that actors beyond the cryptocurrency’s borders will manipulate its value. However, people now choose bitcoin trading to trade in bitcoins. International finance experts are skeptical of this outcome but agree that bitcoin is a high-risk investment.
Though the system isn’t currently facing any legal challenges in the United States, it’s entirely possible that someday soon, it will have to defend itself against an invasion of banking regulations to maintain security for investors.
The legal status of cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin is one of those inventions that will either disrupt or augment existing industries with efficiency and a level of profit never experienced before – but only time can tell which one it’ll be. At the moment, it seems many people in the world have taken a liking to this new digital currency and its potential.
To date, not a single country has issued legislation covering bitcoin except china and El Salvador. Country China has utterly imposed a ban on using any privately mined digital currencies, whereas El Salvador has made bitcoin a full flash national currency.
Today, people in countries where a traditional currency has been devalued trust bitcoin to store their assets, giving it a market value of more than $1 trillion. As a result, it is possible to use bitcoin as an alternative payment method in the retail industry. Still, its value fluctuates too much for its use as a reliable unit of account to be feasible. Moreover, the legal status of this new form of money is still unclear: it is neither a currency nor security yet. However, some countries have considered defining it as either one or both. Let’s discuss the legal challenges bitcoin can face in the future.
Bitcoin and Taxes
Investors should be aware that bitcoin offers a tax-advantaged investment. Bitcoin is not subject to the same capital gains tax treatment as most other investments and thus has a substantial advantage over gold, bonds, and equities in tax efficiency. Therefore, bitcoin could be used as an alternative investment vehicle to avoid taxes on capital gains. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not levy taxes on bitcoin sales, but since they are still in its “exploratory phase,” it will probably issue regulations in the future.
Bitcoin is currently listed as a commodity in the judiciary of the United States. However, it is essential to note that the definition of bitcoin, according to a US financial regulator, is “a digital representation of value” and not legal tender. While this does not directly affect any legal status in other countries, it does set a precedent for the future use of regulatory control by governments seeking to clamp down on cryptocurrencies as they become more widely used.
Capital Gains and Cryptocurrency
Capital gains are the growth in value of an asset or investment over time and are computed as the difference between the acquisition cost and the sale proceeds. Some countries do not charge any taxes on bitcoin transactions, but countries like Australia, Germany, and Italy, for example, require capital gains to be paid on profits derived from cryptocurrency sales.
It can be a complicated tax to pay accurately, given the enormous volatility in price. Depending on the jurisdiction, capital gains tax is charged at either a flat rate or profit percentage. Other nations like Australia charge 10% regardless of profit, whereas other countries impose a 20-50% tax rate on capital gains depending on how long you hold your cryptocurrency before selling it. In India, the tax on capital gain on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin is 30%, which is enormous.
Need for a new framework and strategies
With such uncertainty about bitcoin’s legal status, its users need to take steps to reduce the risk of being accused of tax evasion. Regulators must address this challenge head-on by creating a standard definition of cryptocurrencies so that they have a single standard by which people can evaluate them. If all countries adopt the same approach, this could also help bring more stability to the market since different jurisdictions are bound to be at odds with one another regarding their regulations.
It remains uncertain whether there will be a uniform framework for cryptocurrencies in the future or whether different approaches will continue over time – though it seems likely that some internationally accepted approach will emerge. It is important to remember that no country has come close to creating a framework for bitcoin despite being around for several years. The recent clarification by the IRS about how capital gains will be taxed under bitcoin is a significant step forward in establishing some regulatory oversight in the US.
The Bottom Line
When assessing the legal status of cryptocurrencies, it is important to note that very few jurisdictions have addressed this topic specifically so far – and thus, there isn’t a single standard by which you can examine them. Despite this, some experts still believe that most countries could impose regulations on crypto transactions, especially when the industry reaches its full potential.
