• Questions About Cryptocurrency
• Cryptocurrency Explained
• Questions To Ask About Cryptocurrency
• Why Is Cryptocurrency So Important
• Frequently Asked Questions About Cryptocurrency
• What Is The Most Useful Cryptocurrency

Many Bitcoin owners have adopted a “Play dumb and hope for the best” strategy when it comes to taxes. But now that strategy—never a great idea at the best of times—is riskier than ever in light of a proposed change to next year’s tax forms.

The Internal Revenue Service revealed the change in a preview of the Form 1040 that every American uses to file their federal income tax. Now, right at the top of the form, below the address line, is a new yes/no question that asks if the filer has acquired an interest in virtual currency:

The proposed IRS change comes as the agency continues to ramp up scrutiny of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. In some cases, the focus of the IRS has been criminal activity involving digital currency, while in others the agency has sought to identify those who fail to report profits from trading.

The IRS is also looking for taxpayers earning cryptocurrency for services provided or performed without reporting the income. The new question seems simple, but perhaps not. If you look to the instructions for the 2020 IRS Form 1040 regarding “Virtual Currency” as guidance regarding the new question. What is a cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrency is a digital medium of exchange that is based on blockchain. There are different types of cryptocurrencies, whereby some are for financial transaction only, others can be used to pay for writing data onto blockchain, etc. Having other utilities besides financial transaction does not mean that these currencies could not be used as a medium of monetary exchange, however. A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to secure financial transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems. The decentralized control of each. In fact, the only predictable thing about cryptocurrency is its unpredictability. But, as we strongly believe, while there may be several nausea-inducing drops downs, the general trajectory is upwards. The questions are: how smartly can you invest, keeping your investment profile in mind, and can you stomach a few bad episodes?

While millions of Americans own cryptocurrency accounts, a relatively small portion of them have reported income from them. In a lawsuit with cryptocurrency giant Coinbase, for instance, the IRS testified that only 807 individuals reported Bitcoin-related transactions in 2015.

In the last three years, Coinbase and other exchanges have provided more tax reporting tools but the number of filers remains relatively small. The owner of a firm specializing in crypto taxes told the Wall Street Journal that he estimates fewer than 150,000 crypto owners filed returns last year.

According to the Journal, which first reported the new IRS form, the change to the 1040 amounts to laying “a trap” for those who would feign ignorance of the reporting requirements—and is similar to approach the agency took to forcing Americans to disclose overseas income.

Questions About Cryptocurrency

The aggressive new tactic by the IRS is likely to irk many in the cryptocurrency industry given that current tax rules consider any sale or purchase involving crypto—such as buying a cup of coffee with Bitcoin—to be a taxable event. The industry has lobbied for an exemption for transactions under $200, but the agency has said any such changes to its rules must come from an act of Congress. And while the industry has been increasing its influence in Washington, DC, it still faces hostility from lawmakers and from the White House.

Cryptocurrency Explained

Barring any changes, the virtual currency question will appear on next year’s next forms. In 2019, the IRS did include a cryptocurrency question, but only on a form for additional income known as Schedule 1 that many Americans don’t use.

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• One pandemic, two recoveries: New Yorkers are three times more likely to be jobless than Nebraskans

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Digital currency is the future with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Z-cash, and Stellar lumens at the fore, among many. On Tuesday, the world's most popular cryptocurrency - Bitcoin soared to a record high of 34,800 dollars in Asia, marking an 800% surge since mid-March 2019.

A huge milestone, Bitcoin is all set to become a mainstream mode of payment by the end of 2021.

Questions To Ask About Cryptocurrency

Some refer to Bitcoin as the new gold, but there is still a lot we don’t know. Who created it? Who controls it? Is it backed by any government? How does one use it? How do the transactions take place? And what about illegal transactions? We bring to you the answers.

Also read: Bitcoin passes $30,000 for the first time

Bitcoin is a purely online currency created from computer code, and has been in circulation since 2009. The identity of its creator remains a mystery to this day. Unlike traditional currencies, it has no central bank and is not backed by any government.

Instead, Bitcoin's community of users control and regulate it via the block chain, which a shared public ledger on which the entire bitcoin network relies. It's a mathematical process designed to provide anonymous & secure transfers.

Also read: US seizes bitcoins worth $1billion, the largest cryptocurrency haul in history

Why Is Cryptocurrency So Important

To get started, users can install a Bitcoin wallet on their computer or phone which generates an address unique to each transaction. They can use this to buy goods & services, even other currencies. The transactions are validated by members of the bitcoin community by tracing the origin of each bitcoin using a special software.

This technique is known as mining - a process that is intended to ensure that no single bitcoin can be spent in more than one place simultaneously. Members of this network are known as miners. They are pitted against one another as they race to solve increasingly complex ‘’cryptograms’’ on extremely powerful computers.

The fastest to do so are issued with new bitcoins as a reward for their efforts. This is the only way new bitcoins can be created. However, there is a limit to how many new bitcoins can be created - capped at 21 million units.

The advantages of this cryptocurrency are several - the transactions are anonymous, the transfers are instantaneous, and it’s all free of charges.

Also read: Twitter reveals how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts

Frequently Asked Questions About Cryptocurrency

To add to that - there is no price cap - and no middlemen.

But that does not mean that there are no disadvantages - Bitcoin transactions are irreversible and it's an extremely volatile currency subject to wild fluctuations in price.

Security is also an issue with digital wallets stored in computers or phones, vulnerable to theft by hackers. Lastly, the anonymous nature of Bitcoin makes it a popular currency for illegal transactions.

What Is The Most Useful Cryptocurrency

In February 2016, a Los Angeles hospital had to pay 17,000 US dollars in bitcoins to hackers who took control of its computers for more than a week. But the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, and the popularity of bitcoin is set to grow exponentially in this decade.