Staking, airdrops and lending: what the Swiss tax authorities tax

The common rule

Income is declared at the moment it is credited to you, at its value in francs on that day. Even if you never convert these tokens, even if they remain locked on the platform. This is the most common omission in tax returns.

The tokens received then become part of your wealth: if you still hold them on 31 December, they are also declared at their year-end value.

Staking

Staking rewards are income from movable assets, taxable at the moment they are credited to you. This is the usual case of staking through a platform or a pool. If you run your own validator, the activity may be classified as self-employment, with other consequences.

Lending

Interest received for lending tokens, for example through a lending pool, is in principle taxable interest income (art. 20 para. 1 let. a DBG), subject to income tax. The Federal Tax Administration confirmed this to Fiscoin on 19 October 2026; its next working paper will cover lending in detail.

Airdrops

An airdrop is treated as income from movable assets, at its value at the time of receipt. A token that has no price or market when it arrives is worth zero: there is nothing to declare as income until it acquires one.

Mining

Tokens obtained through mining are also taxable income. When carried out professionally, mining becomes a self-employed activity, subject to AHV/AVS social security contributions.

What to note for each payment

1. The date on which the tokens were credited to you.
2. The quantity received.
3. The price in francs on that day, with its source.

Platforms often offer an export of rewards: download it before the end of the year. For daily payments, an annual statement from the platform is generally simpler than a line-by-line list; some cantons in fact ask first and foremost for the platform's tax statement. See the page for your canton.