What Are the Record-Keeping Requirements for Spot Crypto Trades versus Futures Trades?
For spot crypto trades, detailed records are required to establish cost basis, date acquired, date sold, and fair market value at the time of disposal to accurately calculate capital gains or losses. For futures trades, particularly Section 1256 contracts, the exchange or broker often provides a Form 1099-B summarizing the net gain/loss, simplifying the calculation, but the trader still needs to reconcile this.