History of Bitcoin in Germany
Germany was an early bitcoin regulator: BaFin called it a unit of account in 2013, banks could get crypto custody licences from 2020, and private gains have been tax-free after one year, a rule now under review.
Facts checked 26 October 2026
Bitcoin in Germany today
- Private gains on bitcoin and other crypto assets are taxed at the personal income tax rate if sold within one year and are tax-free after one year (section 23 EStG). In October 2026 a Finance Ministry draft to abolish the holding period and apply the 25% capital gains tax was still in inter-ministerial coordination.
- Since 30 December 2024 crypto-asset service providers in Germany, as across the EU, fall under the EU MiCA Regulation; the EU-wide transitional period for firms already operating ends no later than 1 July 2026.
Timeline: bitcoin in Germany
- 2013BaFin: bitcoin is a unit of account
BaFin classified bitcoin as a 'unit of account', a type of financial instrument under the Banking Act, so commercial bitcoin businesses needed a licence.
- 2018Berlin court questions BaFin view
In autumn 2018 a Berlin appeal court ruled in a criminal case that treating bitcoin as a unit of account had no basis in law. The ruling did not bind BaFin.
- 2020Crypto custody licence
1 January 2020. From 1 January 2020 crypto assets became financial instruments under the Banking Act, and holding crypto assets or private keys for customers became a licensed 'crypto custody business'.
- 2024Saxony sells seized bitcoin
12 July 2024. Authorities in Saxony sold about 50,000 bitcoin seized from the Movie2k piracy site operator, with the last coins moved on 12 July 2024. The proceeds were estimated at about EUR 2.7 billion.
- 2024EU MiCA rules apply
30 December 2024. The EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation applies to crypto service providers from 30 December 2024, replacing national rules over a transition that ends by 1 July 2026 at the latest.
- 2026Bundestag keeps the one-year rule for now
20 May 2026. The Bundestag's Finance Committee recommended rejecting a Green bill to abolish the one-year tax-free holding period for crypto. Under section 23 EStG, private crypto gains remain tax-free after one year.
- 2026Holding period under review
12 October 2026. The Bundestag Petitions Committee heard a petition with over 44,000 signatures to keep the one-year rule, while a Finance Ministry draft would tax crypto gains at the 25% capital gains rate. The draft was still under discussion.
Sources (8)
- Crypto assets vs units of account - fin-law.de (Annerton/Fin Law)
- New regulatory regime for crypto assets in Germany - Norton Rose Fulbright
- The last German government bitcoin is gone - heise online
- ESMA statement on MiCA transitional measures
- Beschlussempfehlung und Bericht des Finanzausschusses, Drucksache 21/6112 - Deutscher Bundestag
- Petitionen: Haltefrist fuer Kryptowerte (hib 807/2026) - Deutscher Bundestag
- Annual accounts for 2025: statement at the press conference presenting the Deutsche Bundesbank's Annual Report for 2025
- Bundesbank: Wert der deutschen Goldreserven steigt auf 395 Milliarden Euro - cash.ch
History compiled from the sources listed, which we opened and checked in October 2026. Dates follow those sources; where they differ, we say so or leave the detail out.
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@misc{corgano2026historyofbitcoinin, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {History of Bitcoin in Germany}, howpublished = {\url{https://bitcoinprice.corgano.com/bitcoin-history/germany}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Bitcoin Price, accessed 2026-10-26}}