From January 1, 2026, crypto services in 48 countries and jurisdictions began collecting data on users’ transactions as part of the rollout of the global tax transparency infrastructure, the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), which will officially come into force in 2027.
Since the start of 2026, data collection began on transactions carried out through investors’ crypto wallets. The information is being aggregated for taxation purposes, as prescribed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Although the exchange of data between tax authorities will officially begin only in 2027, participants in the first wave of implementation are required to start accumulating information on crypto operations already in 2026. The first group of jurisdictions that will begin recording transactions this year in order to ensure automatic information exchange from 2027 includes:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guernsey
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Jersey
- Kazakhstan
- Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
A wide range of crypto providers classified by the OECD as Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (RCASP) are required to collect data. These include centralized and some decentralized exchanges, crypto ATMs, brokers, and dealers. Globally, the measure is aimed at strengthening control over compliance with tax obligations and combating tax evasion, as well as countering money laundering in cross-border digital asset transactions.
RCASPs are required to collect information for CARF not on all types of crypto-assets, but only on those based on a “cryptographically secured distributed ledger.” For example, transactions involving central bank digital currencies (CBDC) don’t need to be reported under CARF.
According to the OECD, most of the 48 jurisdictions already adopted the necessary legislation or are at the final stage of its implementation. Another 27 jurisdictions will join the system later — their data exchange is scheduled to start in 2028, and data collection must begin no later than January 1, 2027. The second wave of implementation includes:
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- Cyprus
- Hong Kong
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Nigeria
- Panama
- Philippines
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
In the third wave of CARF implementation, the United States will begin collecting information on crypto-assets in 2028 in order to join the global tax transparency infrastructure in 2029. At the same time, five jurisdictions declined to implement CARF, namely:
- Argentina
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- India
- Vietnam
The CARF initiative has been in development since 2021 at the insistence of G20 finance ministers, and the basic rules were finally approved by the OECD in 2023. The aim is to eliminate gaps in tax control related to the global nature of the crypto market and to ensure that taxpayers meet their obligations regardless of the jurisdiction in which transactions are carried out.
Formally, the data collected under CARF is intended exclusively for tax purposes. However, industry representatives note that in the long term, this body of information could significantly expand the capabilities of government authorities to identify crypto-asset owners, analyze ownership structures, and detect links to illegal activities, including cross-border financial crimes.
