Tales from the crypt(o) - Global taxation of digital assets

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Mazhar Wani (PwC's FinTech Tax Leader) discuss PwC's Annual Global Crypto Tax Report and recent developments concerning digital assets. Doug and Mazhar discuss: what 'digital assets' are; the OECD's recent report, 'Taxing Virtual Currencies,' and how it compares with PwC's Annual Global Crypto Tax Report; the distinctions between cryptocurrencies and digital assets; the increase in guidance concerning digital assets and potential incentives for jurisdictions to lead in the digital asset space; how regulators around the world are treating the taxation of digital assets; the importance of classifying digital assets as 'property' or 'currency,' and distinctions between the two classifications; what 'staking' is and recent global trends regarding 'staking'; what 'decentralized finance' (DeFi) is and the future of DeFi; trends in the indirect tax space concerning digital assets; and recommendations for taxpayers looking to enter the digital asset space.