Crypto law

Crypto law in United States

Oldest entry on this page last reviewed 10 July 2026

Not legal advice. General information only, not legal advice. Crypto law changes quickly and varies within jurisdictions. Verify with a qualified local lawyer before acting. Each statement carries its primary source and the date we last reviewed it.

Legal status

Legal, regulated

Legal, with regulation split across the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN and the states.

Owning and trading crypto is lawful at federal level. Regulatory treatment depends on the asset: the SEC asserts jurisdiction over assets it considers securities, the CFTC over commodities and derivatives, and FinCEN over money transmission. State-level money transmitter licensing applies in addition.

Regulator: SEC, CFTC, FinCEN

Last reviewed 10 July 2026 by Craig Winder

Capital gains tax

Legal, regulated

Crypto is property. Disposals are taxable capital gains.

The IRS treats virtual currency as property. Selling, exchanging, or using crypto to pay for goods and services is a taxable disposal. Holding period determines short- or long-term capital gains treatment.

Regulator: Internal Revenue Service

Last reviewed 10 July 2026 by Craig Winder

Exchanges in United States

Which exchanges quote USD, and their licensing position.

Exchanges available in United States

Spotted an error?

Law changes faster than we publish. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it publicly, with the date.

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