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Bahamas vs United States

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Bahamas | United States
Bahamas

Bahamas

United States

United States

Legal
Legal

The Bahamas enacted the Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges (DARE) Act in 2020, creating a comprehensive regulatory framework. The SCB oversees digital asset businesses. The Bahamas also launched the Sand Dollar CBDC.

The United States has the world's most complex crypto regulatory landscape, with overlapping federal and state jurisdictions. The SEC regulates crypto securities and has pursued enforcement actions against exchanges and token issuers. The CFTC oversees crypto derivatives and considers Bitcoin a commodity. FinCEN applies BSA requirements to crypto exchanges as money service businesses. The IRS taxes crypto as property: short-term gains at income tax rates (10-37%), long-term gains at 0-20%. New 1099-DA broker reporting rules take effect from 2025. Multiple states have their own requirements, with New York's BitLicense being the most stringent.

Tax Type No tax
Tax Type Capital gains
Tax Rate 0%
Tax Rate 0-37%
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining No No
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB)
Regulator SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, OCC, IRS, State regulators
Stablecoin Rules Regulated under DARE Act 2024; algorithmic stablecoins banned
Stablecoin Rules Stablecoin legislation actively being developed in Congress; existing oversight by SEC, CFTC, state regulators
Key Points
  • DARE Act (2020) provides comprehensive regulation for digital assets and exchanges
  • Securities Commission of the Bahamas licenses and supervises digital asset businesses
  • No income tax, capital gains tax, or crypto-specific taxes
  • Sand Dollar CBDC launched in 2020 as one of the world's first
  • FTX collapse in 2022 led to enhanced scrutiny and regulatory updates
Key Points
  • SEC regulates crypto as securities under Howey test; major enforcement actions (Ripple, Coinbase, Binance)
  • CFTC classifies Bitcoin and Ether as commodities; oversees derivatives markets
  • IRS treats crypto as property: short-term gains taxed at 10-37%, long-term (1yr+) at 0-20%
  • FinCEN requires exchanges to register as MSBs and comply with BSA/AML requirements
  • 1099-DA broker reporting for centralized exchanges effective from tax year 2025
Sources
Sources