Important
Deribit does not offer built-in tax calculation or reporting features. As a user, you are responsible for tracking and reporting your trading profits, losses, and income for tax purposes. Always consult a qualified tax professional about your specific situation to ensure compliance with your local laws.
Deribit is a cryptocurrency-only exchange. This means you cannot deposit, trade, or withdraw actual fiat currency (such as USD or EUR) on Deribit. If you see “USD” values on the platform, they are not real US dollars in an account, but rather reference figures based on an index or conversion rate. For example, many derivatives on Deribit use a USD price index for quoting or settlement, but any profits or losses are paid out in crypto (e.g. Bitcoin or other crypto asset), not in fiat currency.
Tax implication: Because all transactions on Deribit occur in crypto assets, you cannot directly use the on-screen “USD” values for tax reporting. Instead, you’ll need to determine the fiat value of your cryptocurrency transactions at the time they occurred. In other words, your taxable gains or losses should be calculated from the crypto amounts (e.g. BTC, ETH) you received or paid, converted to your local currency’s value at the time of each transaction. This process can be complex (for instance, derivative trading income might be treated differently from spot trading by tax authorities), so again, professional guidance is essential.
Maintaining accurate records of all your Deribit transactions is essential for tax reporting. To facilitate this, Deribit provides several features for retrieving your account data and sharing it with accountants or tax software:
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Transaction Log – A comprehensive log of all transactions (trades, deposits, withdrawals, etc.) on your account. You can select a date range and download your transaction history as a CSV file from the Transaction Log page. It is also possible to export annual transaction logs directly to an email address and even add additional recipients which is useful if you need to send your records to an accountant or auditor.
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Monthly Reports – End-of-month account statements are generated automatically, with the December report serving as the official year-end summary. These monthly reports (accessible via the Stats and Reports section of your account) can be downloaded in PDF or CSV format. Each statement provides a snapshot of your assets, balances, and positions at the end of that month, which can help in reconciling your yearly activity.
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Read-Only API Access – You may create a read-only API key to grant view-only access of your account data to third parties (such as your accountant or a crypto tax application) without exposing your login credentials. This is often the most convenient way for external auditors or software to retrieve the necessary information directly. Read-only API access ensures the external party can see your transactions and balances but cannot perform any trades or withdrawals.
These data retrieval options make it easy to compile your trading history for tax purposes. For detailed instructions on exporting or sharing your Deribit data (including how to use the export-with-email feature or set up API access), please refer to our Providing account data for auditors article.
Every trader’s tax situation is different, and cryptocurrency taxation can be complicated. Deribit staff cannot provide tax advice, and nothing on the platform automatically computes taxes for you. It is strongly recommended that you consult with a tax professional or accountant who is knowledgeable about digital asset transactions. They can help you interpret the transaction data from Deribit and apply the correct tax treatment based on your jurisdiction’s laws (for example, distinguishing between capital gains versus ordinary income, handling derivative losses, etc.). Always ask your tax specialist how to properly report your Deribit activity – especially if you are unsure about accounting for complex instruments like options or futures.
Tip
Keep thorough records of your trades and asset values throughout the year. Using the tools mentioned above (transaction logs and reports) regularly will make it easier to stay organized. Your tax advisor may also appreciate if you maintain notes on significant transactions (like large trades or transfers), as this context can be useful for tax filing.