As platforms like Robinhood and Gemini begin offering tokenized stocks to users in the European Union, regulators around the world are facing renewed pressure to tighten crypto tax reporting standards. These digital assets, which track the price of real-world equities like Apple and Tesla, enable 24/7 trading and challenge the boundaries of traditional finance.
While this development signals a new era of accessibility and innovation in markets, it also shines a spotlight on a long-standing issue: crypto tax reporting still lags far behind traditional financial systems.
In countries like Australia, the difference is stark. The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) provides structured data to the tax office — including trade dates, sale prices, and proceeds — which is seamlessly integrated into taxpayers' returns. On the other hand, crypto platforms simply notify users of their tax responsibilities, offering no detailed, pre-filled reports. Although the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is aware of individuals with crypto accounts, its oversight lacks the precision and integration found in stock trading.
That kind of passive approach may have been acceptable when crypto was largely associated with speculative tokens and NFTs. But as tokenized stocks gain traction, potentially expanding to markets like Australia, this transparency gap becomes increasingly indefensible.
Industry players like Galaxy Digital anticipate that tokenized assets will divert liquidity from traditional exchanges — a shift that will compel regulators to act. Governments can’t afford to let tax revenue slip through digital cracks simply because transactions are happening on-chain.
This urgency is reflected in upcoming regulatory changes. In the United States, the IRS is rolling out a new framework by 2026, including the long-awaited Form 1099-DA, which will require crypto brokers to report user activity similar to traditional financial institutions. At the same time, Robinhood is reportedly preparing to bring tokenized stocks to the U.S. market — raising questions about whether that launch will coincide with the IRS’s new reporting rules.
Globally, the OECD is also moving in this direction. Its Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), also scheduled for 2026, will establish cross-border transaction data sharing akin to the Common Reporting Standard already used by banks.
If tokenized stocks are going to mirror traditional equities, their tax treatment must do the same. The crypto industry is quickly approaching a pivotal moment where the regulatory gray zone will vanish. Whether crypto platforms are prepared or not, the era of full tax transparency is fast approaching — and tokenized stocks could be the catalyst that finally pushes it over the edge.
Within the next five years, we may see a seismic shift in how global tax systems interact with blockchain-based assets. The rise of tokenized stocks isn't just a technical innovation; it's a regulatory wake-up call the world can no longer ignore.
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