Some cryptocurrency exchanges offer sign-up or referral bonuses for using their services. A previous Coinbase sign-up bonus offered $5 to new users to invest in crypto, for example, and the exchange currently offers a $10 bonus to both you and your referral when they make an account and trade at least $100.
Make sure you pay attention to the terms of these bonuses. You may be required to provide more personal information or go through other actions to claim these rewards. Most of these offerings aren’t lucrative enough to warrant signing up for an entirely new exchange if you already have an account, but if you’re a beginner, keep an eye on exchanges you’re considering to see if they offer a sign-up bonus or referral for other friends that may be interested.
2. Coinbase Earn
Popular cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase offers incentives for using the platform’s Learn hub. In order to get the free change, you’ll need to watch Coinbase’s videos, take quizzes, and then Coinbase will deposit a small amount of crypto into your wallet. The content is typically focused on a specific altcoin (like GRT and BOND) and, as a result, these are the coins you’ll earn for going through the lessons.
Because altcoins generally aren’t recommended for long-term investing, you can convert these lesser-known coins into Bitcoin or Ethereum once you earn them. But remember to keep track of these transactions, as every crypto-to-crypto trade is taxable. Additionally, you should track the price value of all your earnings through Coinbase Earn, and report them as income on your federal tax return. If you earn over $600 through the program, Coinbase will issue you a Form 1099-MISC, which you can use to report your earnings.
You’ll need to have a funded Coinbase account, live in an eligible country, and verify all of your personal information to start earning with Coinbase Earn.
3.Airdrops
Of all the methods for earning free crypto, airdrops carry the most risk — more than we believe is worth the benefit for most investors. Developers perform airdrops when they want to gain traction for their new cryptocurrency. Put simply, they give away coins to try and garner adoption.
You can look online to find when airdrop projects are happening; they’re often promoted on the company’s website as well as by users on social media platforms and some crypto news sites. If you qualify, the developers often send the specified amount of coins straight to your digital wallet address.
It’s important to be cautious with any new cryptocurrency projects. Fake airdrops and ICOs— initial coin offerings — are common scams used by hackers. Even when they are real, many of the coins issued in airdrops are not a great investment store of value. Experts recommend sticking with the most well-known cryptos, Bitcoin and Ethereum, especially for beginners. If you follow that recommendation, then pass on airdrops.
Any crypto you earn through airdrops is also taxable income. You’ll be responsible for reporting it as such based on its fair market value on the date it was recorded on the distributed ledger (in most cases, when you receive the airdrop into your digital wallet), according to the IRS.
0 Comments