Towards Effective Cryptocurrency Taxation: Comparative Policy Lessons from the EU, the United States, and Southeast Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65875/abj02012232Keywords:
Cryptocurrency, Comparative Legal Analysis, Digital Asset Regulation, Fiscal Governance, Cross-Border ComplianceAbstract
Rapid expansion within cryptocurrency markets has presented global tax authorities with significant hurdles, specifically regarding the determination of ownership, valuation methodologies, and jurisdictional liability for digital assets. Disparate taxation policies among leading economies have resulted in persistent inconsistencies concerning regulatory compliance, enforcement protocols, and fiscal equity. This research performs a comprehensive comparative analysis of cryptocurrency taxation frameworks across the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and Southeast Asia, with a focused lens on legal classifications, regulatory structures, and fiscal consequences. Qualitative comparative methodology serves as the foundation for this study, integrating policy document evaluations, case law reviews, and the synthesis of secondary data from official governmental and institutional archives. Findings indicate that the European Union emphasizes regional harmonization through the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, whereas the United States maintains a capital gains taxation model predicated on specific asset categorizations. Southeast Asian nations, conversely, demonstrate fragmented and evolving strategies that are heavily influenced by varying levels of institutional maturity. Analysis suggests that successful cryptocurrency taxation remains contingent upon high levels of transparency, robust interagency coordination, and advanced digital infrastructure readiness. Global policy coherence appears essential for mitigating tax arbitrage and fostering equitable fiscal governance within the modern digital economy. These conclusions offer a valuable contribution toward establishing a unified conceptual framework for the management of cross-border digital asset taxation.
References
Abdelaziz, G. M., & Shalaby, A. (2023). Legal Challenges of Cryptocurrency. In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (Vol. 488, pp. 890–898). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39158-3_83
Alimov, D. A., Kolyushkina, L. Y., Markina, E. V., Mezhenskaya, G. V., & Zarubina, V. R. (2023). Directions for Improving the Legal Regulation of the Use of Digital Technologies and Ensuring Cybersecurity in the Economy of the Russian Federation. In Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (Vol. 625, pp. 179–187). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19- 7411-3_19
Baer, K., de Mooij, R., Hebous, S., & Keen, M. (2023). Taxing cryptocurrencies. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 39(3), 478–497. . https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grad035
Bakhvalov, S., Kirillova, E., Baltin, V., Kurdyukova, N., Evseev, P., Klimovskikh, N., & Ostrovskaya, A. (2024). Identifying Effective Tools For Regulating The Cryptocurrency Market To Reduce Crime Rates And
HARMONIZE ECONOMIC PROCESSES. Relações Internacionais No Mundo Atual, 1(43), 664–678. . https://doi.org/10.21902/Revrima.v1i43.7413
Bhullar, P. S., Joshi, M., Sharma, S., Phan, D. H. T., & Nguyen, A. L. (2025). Global taxation issues in cryptocurrencies – a synthesis of literature and future research agenda. Journal of Accounting Literature. . https://doi.org/10.1108/JAL-10-2024-0314
Carson, B. B., & Wright, R. E. (2023). Explaining Money & Banking (p. 213). Business Expert Press. https://www..com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0- 105013830200&partnerID=40&md5=301703d0de7072c090dd87a7ad98611b
Chavez-Perez, J., Melgarejo-Espinoza, R., Sevillano-Vega, V., & Iparraguirre-Villanueva, O. (2025). Impact of Cryptocurrencies and Their Technological Infrastructure on Global Financial Regulation: Challenges for Regulators and New Regulations. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 16(4), 802–814. . https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160480
Chawla, V., & Mahipal, V. (2023). Taxation Of Cryptocurrency: The Indian
Faux Pas. Gnlu Journal of Law and Economics, 6(2), 45–63. . https://doi.org/10.69893/gjle.2023.000056
Cong, L. W., Landsman, W., Maydew, E., & Rabetti, D. (2023). Tax-loss harvesting with cryptocurrencies. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 76(2–3). . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2023.101607
Cross, T., & Bailey, A. M. (2023). Carbon-Neutral Bitcoin for Nation States: Vol. 13412 LNCS (S. Matsuo, L. Gudgeon, D. Perez Hernandez, S. Werner, A. Klages-Mundt, T. Haines, A. Essex, A. Bracciali, & M. Sala, Eds.; pp. 55–65). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32415-4_4
Derevyanko, B., Ivanchenko, N., Podskrebko, O., Prylutska, A., & Turkot, O. (2023). On the pros and cons of legitimizing cryptocurrency (case study of Ukraine). Social and Legal Studios, 6(3), 9–15. . https://doi.org/10.32518/sals3.2023.09
Galazova, S. S., Zhukova, T. V., & Volodina, V. N. (2025). Cryptocurrency Mining As An Emerging Industry: Prospects For The Russian Arctic. Sever i
Rynok: Formirovanie Ekonomiceskogo Poradka, 28(2), 117–131. . https://doi.org/10.37614/2220-802X.2.2025.88.008
Gupta, G., Yadav, A., & Gupta, A. (2024). Legal Regulations and Developments of Cryptocurrencies in India and Russia: A Comparative Analysis. Revista de Direito, Estadoe Telecomunicações, 16(1), 80–101. https://doi.org/10.26512/lstr.v16i1.45519
Hasan, M., Talukder, O., Saju, R. K., & Lysuzzaman, M. (2024). KYC-Driven Cryptocurrency Wallet: A Solution To Regulatory Compliance. 405–410. . https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCIT64611.2024.11022389
Hegde, M. S. D., Bhat, M., Horapeti, U., Manoj, D. M., & Ananthanagu, U. (2023). Bitcoin Investopedia—Market and Price Predictor, Chatbot, and public survey on taxation. https://doi.org/10.1109/I2CT57861.2023.10126186
Hernández Sánchez, Á., Sastre-Hernández, B. M., Jorge-Vázquez, J., & Náñez Alonso, S. L. (2024). Cryptocurrencies, Tax Ignorance and Tax Noncompliance in Direct Taxation: Spanish Empirical Evidence. Economies, 12(3). . https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12030062
Huang, R. H., Deng, H., & Chan, A. F. L. (2023). The legal nature of cryptocurrency as property: Accounting and taxation implications. Computer Law and Security Review, 51. . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2023.105860
Huang, Z., Duan, J., Zhang, C., & Gong, W. (2025). SDELP-DDPG: Stochastic differential equations with Lévy processes-driven deep deterministic policy gradient for portfolio management. Expert Systems with Applications, 273. . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.126822
Khanfar, I., & Khanfar, N. (2023). An Investigation on the Legal Protection of Cryptocurrency Investors, Comparative Legal Analysis. In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (Vol. 488, pp. 753–765). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39158-3_70
Lazea, G.-I., Balea-Stanciu, M.-R., Bunget, O.-C., Sumănaru, A.-D., & Coraș, A.-M. G. (2025). Cryptocurrency Taxation: A Bibliometric Analysis and Emerging Trends. International Journal of Financial Studies, 13(1). . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs13010037
Lazea, G.-I., Bunget, O.-C., & Lungu, C. (2024). Cryptocurrencies’ Impact on Accounting:
Bibliometric Review. Risks, 12(6). . https://doi.org/10.3390/risks12060094
Mehta, R., Raghuveer, R., Ram, A. S., Pirakatheeswari, P., Kumar, B. S., & Bhavani, P. (2025). Enhancing Tax Revenue Forecasting Using CapsNet and CNN In Cryptocurrency-Driven Economics. . https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAECT63952.2025.10958908
Rahman, J., & Jin, Y. (2023). The control of tax corruption: Evidence from the nonfungible token market in China. Journal of Money Laundering Control, 26(5), 1066–1082. . https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-01-2023-0005
Shiva Sankari, V., & Kavitha, R. (2025). Bitcoin adoption and price elasticity of demand: Cross-country insights. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1). . https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05148-5
Smirnov, D., Baklanova, O., Sagalaeva, E., Zhukov, A., Tereshchenko, E., & Dolgopolov, K. (2023). Role Of Legal Regulation In Preventing Corruption In The Market Of Digital Financial Assets In The Context Of
Sustainable Development. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development,
11(5). . https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v11i5.557
Smith, S. S. (2024). New tax-reporting rules for a new class of digital assets? (pp. 118–136).
Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009279215.009 Troyanskaya, M., Tyurina, Y., & ERMAKOVA, E. (2024). Modern information technologies
In law education: Teaching innovative principles of taxation of financial assets based on international legal experience. Education and Information Technologies, 29(12), 15691– 15709. . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12488-3
Vasyukov, V., Kirillova, E., Karataeva, T., Baltina, A., & Baldina, E. (2024). Socio-Legal Factors Affecting The Effectiveness Of Establishing A System Of Comprehensive Measures To Minimize The Risks Of
Cryptocurrency Market Operation. Revista Juridica, 2(78). . https://doi.org/10.26668/revistajur.2316-753X.v2i78.7295
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Azizbek Mansurov (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
