When you earn crypto through staking, airdrops, or mining, the PAYE model crypto, a tax withholding system originally designed for salaries, now applies to crypto income in several countries. Also known as Pay As You Earn, this system treats crypto earnings like wages—taxes are taken out at the source before you even see the coins. It’s not just about income tax anymore. If you’re getting free tokens from a project, earning interest in DeFi, or getting paid in Bitcoin, the government may be watching—and taxing—each payment as it happens.
This shift is happening because crypto income is no longer seen as speculative gambling. Governments now treat it as regular income. In places like the UK and Australia, crypto airdrops and staking rewards are already subject to PAYE-style withholding. If you received GMPD from GamesPad or MTLX from Mettalex, those tokens had a market value the moment you got them—and that value was taxable. The same goes for rewards from NovaEx or COINBIG if you earned them through trading incentives. Even if you didn’t sell, you still owe tax. The PAYE model crypto approach forces exchanges and platforms to report and withhold taxes automatically, just like your employer does with your paycheck.
But here’s the catch: most crypto platforms still don’t do this. That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. The crypto tax compliance, the obligation to accurately report and pay taxes on all crypto income still falls on you. If you claimed a ZAM TrillioHeirs NFT or earned REVV from CoinMarketCap’s Learn & Earn program, you were given something of value—and that value is income. The blockchain taxation, the growing legal framework that treats crypto transactions as taxable events is catching up fast. Countries like Malta and Australia are building clear rules, while others like Iraq are banning crypto entirely because they can’t track it. If you’re not keeping records, you’re risking penalties, audits, or worse.
What you’ll find below isn’t a list of get-rich-quick schemes. It’s a collection of real, grounded guides on how crypto income works—what’s taxable, what’s a scam, and what you need to do to stay compliant. From the hidden tax traps in DMC airdrops to the real risks of using ARzPaya in Iran, these posts cut through the noise. You’ll learn how to spot fake airdrops, why CrossTower faded under regulatory pressure, and how AUSTRAC is forcing exchanges to report your activity. This isn’t theory. It’s what’s happening now. And if you’re earning crypto, you need to know it.
Stella (ALPHA) is a DeFi token with a unique PAYE model that charges fees only on profits, not interest. As of October 2025, it trades at $0.0092 with low liquidity and regulatory risks. Learn how it works, who it's for, and if it's worth your money.