18 August 2026 · Crypto Accounting
Crypto Business Accounting
Crypto is not cash on the balance sheet, and IFRS has no single crypto standard, so how you account for tokens depends on why you hold them. Tokens held for sale in the ordinary course can fall under inventory rules, tokens held as intangibles are accounted for under the intangible-asset rules, and tokens held for clients (custody) raise a separate question. Volatility makes period-end measurement and disclosure genuine work. Under all of it sits record-keeping: wallet-level transaction logs, valuations at the transaction date, and a clean audit trail, the same records that feed the corporate tax computation and, eventually, CARF. Set this up early rather than at year-end.
Exiloz Management & Tax Consultant · Dubai-based FTA-focused advisory · VAT, corporate tax & accounting
Why measurement varies
Purpose sets the treatment.
- Held for sale: inventory rules.
- Held as intangibles: intangible-asset rules.
- Held for clients: custody question.
- No single crypto standard in IFRS.
Volatility and disclosure
Period-end is real work.
- Values move sharply.
- Measurement at period-end matters.
- Disclosure needs care.
- Impairment and revaluation questions arise.
Records under everything
The audit trail carries it all.
- Wallet-level transaction logs.
- Valuations at the transaction date.
- A clean, reconcilable audit trail.
- Feeds corporate tax and CARF.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
For accounting for crypto.
How do I account for cryptocurrency under IFRS?
It depends on why you hold it. Tokens held for sale can fall under inventory rules, and tokens held as intangibles under the intangible-asset rules. There is no single crypto standard.
Is crypto treated as cash?
No. Crypto is not cash or a cash equivalent on the balance sheet; it is accounted for based on the nature and purpose of the holding.
What makes crypto accounting hard?
Volatility makes period-end measurement and disclosure demanding, and custody holdings raise separate questions from proprietary holdings.
Why is record-keeping so important?
Wallet-level records valued at the transaction date underpin the accounts, the corporate tax computation and future CARF reporting, so a clean audit trail matters.
When should I set up crypto accounting?
From the start of trading, not at year-end. Reconstructing on-chain history later is far harder than capturing it as you go.
Can Exiloz do crypto bookkeeping and accounts?
Yes. We set up the record-keeping, measure holdings correctly, and prepare accounts that hold up at audit.
Set up crypto accounting
Exiloz builds crypto records and accounts that pass audit.