Greece plans 10% capital gains tax on crypto in first digital asset framework

Greece wants a cut of your crypto profits. The good news is that it wants a smaller cut than it first suggested.

The country is preparing draft legislation that would apply a 10% capital gains tax on crypto. It would be Greece’s first dedicated tax framework for digital assets, ending years in which Greek holders had little formal guidance on what they owed.

What the draft bill actually says

Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance released the draft bill for consultation on October 7-8, 2026. The proposal sets a flat 10% tax on capital gains that individuals make when they sell crypto assets.

The bill also includes a €500 annual tax-free threshold for individuals. Gains up to that level each year would not be taxed under the draft.

The framework reaches beyond simple buying and selling. Income from staking, lending, and liquidity provision would also be taxed at 10%, but the draft classifies it as interest rather than as a capital gain.

Two exclusions could matter a great deal to active users. Swapping one crypto asset for another would not count as a taxable event, and crypto sales would be exempt from a digital transaction fee.

The first exclusion is the bigger deal. Trading Ether for a stablecoin, or rotating between tokens, would not trigger a tax bill on its own. The tax would kick in when crypto is sold, rather than every time it changes form.

From 15% to 10%, plus a year to come clean

The 10% figure was not the opening offer. In June 2026, Greece signaled a possible 15% capital gains rate on crypto. The draft bill trimmed that to 10%.

The draft gives individuals a 12-month window after the law takes effect to voluntarily declare earlier crypto gains without facing penalties or interest.

Why Greece is doing this now

The legislation is also described as bringing Greece in line with EU transparency standards such as DAC8. The broader European direction is toward more reporting and more visibility into crypto activity, and Greece’s framework fits that trend.

Still, there is no single European approach to crypto taxation. Rates and treatment vary significantly from one EU country to the next, so a Greek trader and a trader in another member state can face very different outcomes on the same gain.

What this means for Greek crypto holders and the wider market

For individual investors, the most immediate effect is predictability. A known 10% rate, a €500 annual buffer, and a clear line between swaps and sales let people plan around their tax exposure instead of guessing at it.

The treatment of swaps deserves attention from active traders. In jurisdictions that tax every crypto-to-crypto trade, frequent rebalancing can create a paperwork nightmare and tax bills on gains never converted to cash. Greece’s draft avoids that, at least for individuals.

DeFi users get clarity too, though with a twist. Classifying staking, lending, and liquidity rewards as interest gives them a defined home in the tax code, but holders will need to track that income separately from their trading gains.

The key word throughout is draft. The bill was released for consultation, which means the details could still change before anything becomes law. The rate already moved once, from a signaled 15% to the current 10%, so the final shape of the framework is not locked in.