How Does the Lack of Physical Delivery Affect a Trader’s Tax Obligations?
In many jurisdictions, cash-settled futures are treated differently for tax purposes than physically-settled ones or spot trades. They may be categorized as Section 1256 contracts, which often benefit from a 60/40 long-term/short-term capital gains split, regardless of the holding period.
This is simpler than tracking the cost basis of physically delivered crypto.