#162 - Crypto ETF staking safe harbor explained by tax expert Jason Schwartz

Staking is now officially on the table for U.S. crypto ETFs.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jason Schwartz (@CryptoTaxGuyETH), a tax partner at CahillNXT, Cahill’s digital assets and emerging technology practice. Jason specializes in tax issues relating to digital assets, financial products, securitizations, lending, treaties, and fund structures.

We break down Treasury and the IRS’s new safe harbor that allows crypto ETPs to stake without being treated as domestic corporations, and the questions that follow.

Timestamps

➡️ 00:00 — Intro

➡️ 00:41 — Sponsor: Day One Law

➡️ 01:04 — What does the new Treasury/IRS safe harbor actually allow?

➡️ 03:30 — Why staking created a legal grey area for ETFs

➡️ 06:18 — Why “grantor trust” classification matters so much

➡️ 09:55 — The key safe harbor requirements

➡️ 14:40 — Who this matters for: investors, issuers, and markets

➡️ 19:22 — Could LST-based ETFs outperform Safe Harbor ETFs?

➡️ 23:10 — Four big open questions: uncertainties the IRS didn’t settle

➡️ 28:12 — What comes next for staking ETFs, Treasury, and IRS guidance

& much more.

Sponsor: Day One Law, a boutique corporate law firm founded by Nick Pullman. Nick and his team at Day One provide strategic legal counsel to startups, crypto projects, and Web3 innovators. ⁠You can get in contact with them via this link⁠: ⁠https://www.dayonelaw.xyz/#contact

Resources:

📄 Cahill Client Alert: IRS and Treasury Issue Safe Harbor for Staking by Crypto ETPs

🎧 Previous episode with Jason Schwartz (#151)

🌐 CahillNXT

💼 Jason on X: @CryptoTaxGuyETH

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Views expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their employers. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship.