The 2025 tax return is due. Anyone holding cryptocurrencies must declare them correctly. Switzerland offers private investors an attractive tax environment with tax-free capital gains. But clear rules apply for wealth tax.
The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published the official rate lists for 2025. Bitcoin closed the year at 69,571.99 CHF, Ethereum at 2,364.08 CHF. These values form the basis for the wealth tax return. Private investors continue to benefit from tax-free treatment of capital gains, as long as they are not classified as professional securities dealers.
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Basics of crypto taxation in Switzerland
Switzerland treats cryptocurrencies as assets. Private individuals declare their crypto holdings in the tax return and pay tax on them as part of wealth tax. This ranges from 0.3 to 1 percent of total wealth, depending on the canton. The tax increases progressively.
The crucial difference to other countries: private investors pay no capital gains tax on price gains. An example illustrates this. Anyone who buys Bitcoin for 10,000 francs and later sells it for 50,000 francs realizes a tax-free gain of 40,000 francs. But this rule only applies to privately held assets. Once the tax authorities classify a person as a professional securities dealer, all gains are subject to income tax.
Circular No. 36 of the FTA dated July 27, 2012 defines five criteria for private asset management. These so-called Safe Haven Rules provide security. Private investors meet them with: holding period of at least six months, no debt financing, transaction volume below five times the opening balance, realized capital gains below 50 percent of taxable income and use of derivatives at most for hedging.
FTA rate list as of December 31, 2025
The FTA publishes tax values for the most important cryptocurrencies annually. These rates form the relevant valuation basis for wealth tax. The reference date is December 31, 2025. Investors must therefore declare their holdings at these rates.
| Cryptocurrency | Ticker | Rate CHF |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | BTC | 69,571.99 |
| Ethereum | ETH | 2,364.08 |
| BNB | BNB | 681.91 |
| Solana | SOL | 99.19 |
| Litecoin | LTC | 61.24 |
| Ripple | XRP | 1.47 |
| Polkadot | DOT | 1.43 |
| Cardano | ADA | 0.27 |
Taxpayers find the complete rate list on the ICTax portal. For cryptocurrencies without an official FTA rate, the year-end rate according to CoinMarketCap serves as the valuation basis.
Staking, airdrops and DeFi: special tax cases
Staking rewards are subject to income tax. Investors who stake their coins receive rewards for it. These rewards count as income and must be taxed at market value at the time of receipt. An investor in Zurich receives staking rewards worth 5,000 francs, for example. At a marginal tax rate of 30 percent, 1,500 francs of income tax applies. In addition, the entire crypto holdings are subject to wealth tax.
Tax law treats airdrops similarly. Anyone who receives tokens for free declares them as income at the value at the time of receipt. Mining also generates taxable income. Private miners pay tax on the received coins as income from self-employment. Income tax and social security contributions therefore apply. At the same time, miners can deduct the costs for hardware and electricity.
DeFi activities require special attention. Anyone who provides liquidity on decentralized platforms often receives rewards. These fall under income tax. Token swaps represent a special case. For tax purposes, the exchange of one token for another counts as a sale and new purchase. But any gain remains tax-free for private investors, provided no professional activity exists.
Practical tips for the 2025 tax return
Correct declaration requires careful preparation. Investors should document all transactions without gaps. This includes purchase date, number of coins, purchase price, sale date and sale price. Special crypto tax tools automate this process significantly.
Taxpayers enter cryptocurrencies in the securities and assets register. Each position contains the designation of the cryptocurrency, the quantity and the total value in francs. Most cantonal tax administrations accept a summary statement, provided the individual positions can be proven upon request. The standard filing deadline for the tax return is March 31, 2026. But many cantons grant automatic extensions.
The cantons levy different wealth tax rates between 0.15 and 1 percent. Zug is considered particularly crypto-friendly with one of the lowest wealth taxes in Switzerland. Most cantons also grant allowances between 50,000 and 100,000 francs for single persons. Smaller crypto portfolios therefore often remain wealth tax-free. Switzerland remains an attractive location for crypto investors with tax-free capital gains for private investors.
