Crypto · Regulation

Crypto tax shake-up: Greece passes a 10% gains tax while South Korea seeks a fourth delay to 2029

By VoxTradePro Desk · Published 6 Nov 2026, 13:05 UTC+8 · 3 min read

Greece's parliament approved a 10% crypto gains tax on 5 November, while South Korea proposed delaying its tax to 2029. Here is what each plan says.

While Bitcoin and Ethereum dominated the headlines with a tech-led selloff, two governments quietly rewrote the rules for how crypto profits are taxed. On Thursday 5 November 2026, Greece's parliament approved its first dedicated crypto tax law, and on the same day South Korea said it would seek to push its own crypto tax back to 2029. The two decisions point in opposite directions, and both matter to anyone who trades, stakes or holds crypto.

Greece: a 10% tax with a small threshold

According to Reuters, Greece's parliament approved a bill imposing a 10% capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies, the country's first comprehensive legal framework for taxing crypto assets. Gains of up to €500 per year are exempt. A senior finance ministry official told Reuters that further implementation directives, including transparency and audit rules, will follow "in the coming weeks."

The details come from the bill as tabled on 26 October and reported by Greek outlets Euro2day and, in English, CryptoWatchDesk:

• Taxable events: selling crypto for euros and paying for goods or services with it count as transfers. Swapping one crypto-asset for another does not, according to CryptoWatchDesk.
• The €500 line is a threshold, not an allowance. Euro2day's worked example: a €480 net gain owes nothing, while a €520 gain owes €52 because the whole gain is taxed once the threshold is crossed.
• Yields are separate. Euro2day and CryptoWatchDesk report that staking, lending and liquidity-provision income is taxed as interest at 15%, valued when received, and the €500 threshold does not cover it. Some English-language summaries describe a different yield rate, so check the final published text.
• Losses: losses above €500 in a year can be carried forward for five years against future crypto gains only, per CryptoWatchDesk.
• Past gains: a voluntary declaration window of 12 months after publication lets people pay 10% on old gains and 15% on old yields within 60 days, per Euro2day.

Most of the income-tax rules apply from 1 January 2027, once the law is published in the Government Gazette, according to CryptoWatchDesk. Reuters noted that crypto taxation across European countries varies from 8% to 30%.

South Korea: a fourth delay on the table

South Korea's finance ministry said it will consult parliament on postponing taxation of digital-asset income by two years, to 2029. If approved, it would be the fourth delay since the tax was legislated in 2020 for a 2022 start, the Korea Herald reported.

Under current law, individuals would pay 22% (including local income tax) on annual net income above 2.5 million won from selling or lending virtual assets, and only same-year losses could offset gains. The government's stated reasons include missing overseas transaction data and the start of US data exchange under the OECD-backed Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) in 2029, plus alignment with a proposed Digital Asset Act.

Alongside the delay, the government wants to let investors carry losses forward for up to three years. Under the proposal, losses realised in 2029 could offset gains through 2032, and earlier losses would not qualify. The National Assembly must amend the Income Tax Act before January for the delay to take effect. Detailed tax guidelines are planned for the first half of 2028, per the Korea Herald.

Why traders are watching

Tax rules shape behaviour at the margin: how people record trades, whether yield strategies stay attractive, and where platforms build reporting tools. Greece shows a lighter-rate, rules-first approach, while Korea shows how hard it can be to tax activity that spans foreign exchanges. Both lean on better record-keeping. In Greece, a purchase price that cannot be documented counts as zero, per CryptoWatchDesk.

Practical takeaways, without taking a view on any asset:

• Keep a full log of purchase prices, dates, staking rewards and fees. Reporting standards such as CARF are moving toward more data sharing between countries.
• Rules differ sharply by country and can change before they become law. Check your own jurisdiction's official guidance or a qualified adviser.
• Platform risk and position sizing still matter more day to day; see our guides on risk management basics and exchange safety.

For live prices, see Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana.

Sources

• Reuters via Euronext Live, Greek parliament approves 10% tax on cryptocurrency gains; EUR 500 yearly exemption; implementation directives in coming weeks, 5 November 2026
• Euro2day, Cryptocurrencies: 10% tax on gains and new rules (bill tabled 26 October 2026; 15% on staking, lending and liquidity yields; EUR 500 threshold; voluntary declaration), November 2026
• CryptoWatchDesk, Greece passes 10% crypto gains tax; staking taxed at 15%, 5 November 2026
• The Korea Herald, Korea seeks another delay to crypto tax until 2029 (22% rate above 2.5 million won; three-year loss carryforward), 5 November 2026
• Reuters via StreetInsider, South Korea to introduce taxes on digital assets in 2029, 5 November 2026
• Bloomberg Tax, South Korea to delay crypto taxation by 2 years to 2029, 5 November 2026

Not financial advice. This article is for general information and education only. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any asset. Prices move quickly and figures quoted may already be out of date; markets involve risk, including the loss of capital. See our disclaimer.

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