Tax-free bitcoin is back: How UK investors can avoid paying duty on crypto investments once more

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Tax-free bitcoin is back: How UK investors can avoid paying duty on crypto investments once more Stratiphy will offer access to three ETNs provided by 21Shares: those covering bitcoin, ether and one combining BTC and gold. By Jamie Crawley | Edited by Sheldon Reback Apr 22, 2026, 2:11 p.m. Make preferred on The financial district in London (Albrecht Fietz/Pixabay) What to know : Investors in the U.K. can once again hold crypto ETNs in their tax-free individual savings accounts (ISAs). Stratiphy will offer access to three ETNs provided by 21Shares, those covering bitcoin, ether and one combining bitcoin and gold, through an Innovative Finance ISA. The U.K.'s tax authority classified crypto ETNs as instruments only available in Innovative Finance ISA from the start of the current tax year, but no company offered both. Investors in the U.K. can once again hold cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs) in a tax-free vehicle after fintech startup Stratiphy received approval to offer them in a special class of individual savings account (ISA), according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday . Stratiphy, a fintech platform that allows users to personalize their investment strategies, is offering both crypto ETNs and Innovative Finance ISAs (IFISAs), the wrapper authorized to invest in them, the FT reported. ISAs allow users to save up to 20,000 pounds ($27,000) a year without paying income tax or capital gains tax on the returns. The two most common types are cash ISAs, which pay interest, and stocks and shares ISAs, which invest in equities and exchange-traded instruments. At the end of February, the U.K.'s tax authority, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), classified crypto ETNs as instruments only available in IFISAs from the start of the current tax year on April 6. This essentially made last year's decision to lift the ban on retail users accessing crypto ETNs redundant because no mainstream investment platform offered IFISAs. The few that did had no plans to offer crypto products. The decision drew criticism from some commentators, who said it risked making the U.K. an outlier among markets where exchange-traded products (ETPs) have made crypto investment available to a far broader base of retail investors. Stratiphy will offer access to three ETNs provided by 21Shares: those covering bitcoin BTC $ 78,840.81 , ether (ETH) and one combining BTC and gold. The London-based investment platform, which opened for business in August last year , manages 4 million pounds ($5.4 million) for 2,000 retail and corporate clients. "We see a disproportionate level of interest in these [crypto] products," CEO Daniel Gold said, according to the newspaper. "It's a really interesting way to diversify your portfolio. It's a new asset class with low correlation to other asset classes." Stratiphy did not immediately respond to CoinDesk's request for comment. UK Tax More For You Core Scientific seeks $3.3 billion bond sale to further AI data center pivot By Francisco Rodrigues | Edited by Aoyon Ashraf 18 hours ago The company is building six AI data centers, leased to CoreWeave for 12 years, and is expected to generate approximately $10 billion in revenue. What to know : Core Scientific (CORZ) is raising $3.3B via a junk bond sale to finance its shift from crypto mining to AI-focused data center operations. The company is building six AI data centers, leased to CoreWeave for 12 years, and is expected to generate approximately $10 billion in revenue. This high-yield debt... Read full story Latest Crypto News CoinDesk 20 performance update: Aptos (APT) rises 5.5%, leading index higher 57 minutes ago Kraken filed 56 million crypto tax forms for 2025. One-third were below $1 1 hour ago Lazarus Group has become especially dangerous with new Mach-O Man attack: CertiK 1 hour ago The signal bitcoin momentum traders have been waiting for is here 2 hours ago Bitcoin tests $78,000 resistance as short-squeeze risks mount, altcoins rally 3 hours ago Flight to safety: How Maker’s Spark and USDC are winning the $10 billion Aave breakup 4 hours ago Top Stories Tron's Justin Sun sues Trump-linked World Liberty Financial over frozen assets 8 hours ago Another DeFi protocol loses millions in hack days after KelpDAO breach 6 hours ago A make or break moment: why $79,200 could act as a launchpad or a ceiling for bitcoin 5 hours ago Traders don’t see Kelp socializing losses after $292 million exploit 4 hours ago Bitcoin's 'Coinbase premium' just posted its longest bullish streak since October's record high of $126,000 7 hours ago In this article BTC BTC $ 78,840.81 ◢ 4.16 %