Learn how to correctly declare staking and airdrops in 2026 to comply with the tax authorities and avoid penalties on your digital asset investments.
In Spain, crypto income linked to staking, airdrops, and farming no longer exists in a gray area for taxpayers. The Tax Agency now has full supervisory capacity, while the CNMV (National Securities Market Commission) is moving forward with the implementation of the MiCA regulation to consolidate a rigidly regulated environment. This scenario becomes critical when we consider that 68% of holders in Spain still do not know how to tax these incomes, according to the CNMV report from March.
Consequently, control over movements, balances and operations reaches a level of surgical precision in this fiscal year.
The new tax key that redefines income in DeFi
La General Directorate of Taxes (DGT) It marked a turning point in January of this year with the binding consultation V0089-26This document reinforces the distinction between income from movable capital and capital gains. This distinction is vital, as it modifies both the reporting method and the applicable tax bracket. Therefore, understanding the nature of each type of income is the first step in protecting your assets in the event of an audit.
Under this premise, the agency's focus is no longer limited to the amount obtained, but to the origin of the income and the moment when the tax obligation arises.
For users interacting with DeFi protocols—a sector that has already reached $80.000 billion in total value locked (TVL)—the debate has evolved. Now, the priority is to correctly identify each type of income and support it with technical documentation that verifies the market value at the exact moment of receipt.
Operate crypto under the MiCA framework hereHow to report staking or yield farming returns
The tax debate has shifted towards a central idea that shouldn't be overlooked. Not everything that enters a wallet constitutes a capital gain; in fact, a substantial portion of these flows is classified as return on movable capital when there is a direct relationship between ownership of the asset and the remuneration obtained.
This logic prevails in the stakingThe Spanish Tax Agency (DGT) states that the regularity and predictability of rewards tip the scales towards capital gains. By locking assets to validate a blockchain network, the investor generates a return on their capital, similar to a bond coupon. Consequently, these returns are taxed as savings income under three specific brackets: 19% up to €6.000, 21% between €6.000 and €50.000, and 23% for any amount exceeding that.
Users who stake their cryptocurrencies must declare the market value of the cryptocurrencies received at the exact moment they are deposited into their account or wallet. These earnings are generally declared in the section on Income from movable capital, within the block of income from participation in the equity of entities or transfer of capital to third parties.
Furthermore, the farming It requires an individualized analysis. The structure of each DeFi protocol and the nature of the incentives can modify the applicable tax treatment, which makes it necessary to assess whether we are dealing with remuneration for providing liquidity or with an asset exchange.
Generally, the additional cryptocurrencies received as a return for providing liquidity in a decentralized protocol are considered a incorporation of assets into the patrimony These tokens must be declared as capital gains not derived from a transfer, within the savings tax base. Additionally, these tokens must be declared at their market value in euros at the time they are received in the wallet, and this value will, in turn, be considered the acquisition value for any future sale.
Similarly, if we talk about operations in a liquidity pool, where users hand over cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum in exchange for a Liquidity Provider Token o LP Tokenthen it is considered a barter and must be declared in box 1800 for virtual currencies.
How to declare token airdrops without errors
As for airdropsCurrent regulations generally classify them as capital gainsSince these are occasional "rewards" not resulting from planned activity, the token received is recorded at its market value on the date of receipt. Even if the token has minimal value or lacks immediate liquidity, the taxpayer is obligated to track and document the transaction to avoid future discrepancies with the data that the platforms already report to the tax authorities.
For this fiscal year, the Spanish Tax Agency has strengthened its oversight capacity through the automatic exchange of information. This means that reporting platforms share balances and transactions, facilitating the monitoring of these passive income streams and eliminating anonymity in the flow of capital in and out.
Consequently, as we have pointed Previously, success in a potential inspection depended on to maintain a detailed record of all operations performed by the user, in order to justify with receipts and clear information that all current regulations have been complied with.
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Course on Taxation of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies in Spain (only in Spanish)
Medium levelLearn from experts in the Tax area all the details about the taxation of cryptocurrencies in Spain.
