After I stopped getting paid, here is some food for thought...

[apogio]

My view about this forum is clearer than ever now, after 3 years of continuously being present in here.

• Payments: Valuable members get paid, therefore they're still around, posting good stuff.
• Spam and scam: Takes place much more today than 3 years ago.
• Moderation: It is too bad and it's reactive instead of proactive. So, a moderator doesn't lurk around, trying to spot bad actors and stop them.
• Passion: Are you passionate about bitcoin? Cool! This place is still a good place for you! Just don't take it too seriously.
• Newbies: The majority of newbies want to get paid, so they whine that the Legendary members don't give them chances and don't give them merits. It's such a poor argument, that they believe we were born legendaries, without passing all the stages and ranks ourselves as well.

Let's go to the most important part now.

I have stopped campaigning, because I couldn't be lawful anymore. In order for me to do that, I needed to pay higher taxes than the money I was getting here.
After stopping, I was posting less and less in here, I was scrolling the threads everyday (really!), but I was feeling that I hadn't many valuable things to say. I was reading your posts and conversations though.
It was also vacation period, so I needed a break from the digital world.

Food for thought (some questions that I have):
1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?
2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".
3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid? EDIT: I don't mean getting paid for moderation or tagging scammers, but I mean if you get paid and you need a sustainable payment resource through the forum, you gotta try to keep it safe, don't you?
4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

Disclaimers:
1. I liked getting paid as well and I'll probably try to join campaigns again, if the legislation in my country gets better, or if the payments from campaigns increase to justify me getting paid.
2. My post can be summarized in the following question: "If you weren't getting paid, would you still be around?". My answer to this question is "Yes! I will!".

[Chibit01]

I have used the website and service (casino) I have once’s promoted here, and I have been asked what I’m actually doing here by someone who see me always accessing this forum and my honest answer was; I’m here to gain knowledge and at same time earn some money,

and to the last question; if I’m not getting paid I will post less that’s the honest truth I will go days without posting because I owe no employer some duty, I can spend time reading a post and might not see need to reply unless when necessary, the payment is part of the motivation, that’s a hard truth some won’t be bold enough to admit.

[Finebone]

Food for thought (some questions that I have):
1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

If we can be honest with ourselves, most of us will still post, but not with the same volume like someone expecting something, since most people here sees it as another way to earn money, and most members here will likely post when they are free, not by freeing their time just to meet up signature quota.

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

Short answer, yes.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

Yes I would, because their is a lot of knowledge here we all have benefited from, so defending and fighting for the interest of the forum is the least we can do in times like that.

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

Yes I use the service I promote sometimes because I do gambling, so it's just a matter of choice if I want to gamble with bitz.io or some other gambling casinos during weekends.
Trap question or not, the reality is that at a point in life, we all can be honest with ourselves, even though we will hardly admit it publicly.

[Hatchy]

I won't beat around the bush, the forum makes me a sustainable income. With how things are in my country, you need every single penny you can get to survive. You've got family to take care of, you've got bills to pay. So there's nothing wrong staying around because of the benefits I get from being a member of the forum. To answer your questions.

1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

If a scenario like that occurs, I'll still be active but not as much as I am now. I'm a very busy person offline in the real world. Sometimes I wonder how I'm able to meet up with some things at hand, but I still do. If I no longer earn from the forum, I won't want to spend much time scrolling Through.. I'll just stop by once in a while to join in on some major discussions..

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

If by this you meant inviting someone to the forum, then that's just not me. The last time I tried, some laughed and said the forum was a lie," no one would pay you such an amount to just post everyday". People don't believe in things they don't understand. Most of them want quick actions, when you invite them to the forum and also tell of the benefits they can get if they are able to contribute and rank up, they are at first motivated. But over time they find it difficult to remain here because it's not their regular site. So they keep wondering how I was able to rank up in a place like this..

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

Why not, the forum aside from signature campaign benefits, thought me all I know today about cryptocurrency and bitcoin. I can stand firm on my words when I argue with friends about technical aspects of bitcoin they don't know. The knowledge on the forum is first class and you can't get it anywhere. One thing I hate the most is scammers. So I'll definitely try my best to stop them with all means..

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

I've promoted a lot of casino, exchange and mixers on the forum. Most of which I had to use at some point. It's not really necessary to use the service you are promoting, but your contribution through post quality and awareness is quite enough if I may say..

[apogio]

If we can be honest with ourselves, most of us will still post, but not with the same volume like someone expecting something, since most people here sees it as another way to earn money, and most members here will likely post when they are free, not by freeing their time just to meet up signature quota.

Doesn't this mean that most people artificially generate posts in order to engage in discussions and earn money for posting?

I won't beat around the bush, the forum makes me a sustainable income. With how things are in my country, you need every single penny you can get to survive. You've got family to take care of, you've got bills to pay. So there's nothing wrong staying around because of the benefits I get from being a member of the forum. To answer your questions.

I definitely respect the money aspect.

Why not, the forum aside from signature campaign benefits, thought me all I know today about cryptocurrency and bitcoin. I can stand firm on my words when I argue with friends about technical aspects of bitcoin they don't know. The knowledge on the forum is first class and you can't get it anywhere. One thing I hate the most is scammers. So I'll definitely try my best to stop them with all means..

Sure the forum is a great place to acquire knowledge, I've been very vocal about it. But, if you weren't getting paid, would you care about learning stuff about bitcoin the same way? I mean, if you had to pay for your bitcoin, would you be insterested the same way? I would! Perhaps you would too, but you mentioned financial issues in your country, so I reckon you wouldn't be comfortable enough to use your own income to buy bitcoin, would you?

[GeorgeJohn]

If we can be honest with ourselves, most of us will still post, but not with the same volume like someone expecting something, since most people here sees it as another way to earn money, and most members here will likely post when they are free, not by freeing their time just to meet up signature quota.

Doesn't this mean that most people artificially generate posts in order to engage in discussions and earn money for posting?

Let us be realistic...If we measure people who are still here because of money they earn here and people who are here because of discussion and knowledge..the aggregates of people who are still staying in forum because of money being earn will be higher than people who wants to acquire knowledge and discussion...

Few users can stay firm and exist for long-term if signature campaign is been abolish, the traffic we are getting for registration and interactions of discussion here, is as results of the signature campaign payment..but really forum will not be fun if earning is not involve, and if earning is not involved, people would have come here and acquire knowledge of bitcoin and stay offline forever.

[Finebone]

If we can be honest with ourselves, most of us will still post, but not with the same volume like someone expecting something, since most people here sees it as another way to earn money, and most members here will likely post when they are free, not by freeing their time just to meet up signature quota.

Doesn't this mean that most people artificially generate posts in order to engage in discussions and earn money for posting.

I don't want to be negative, and I don't like looking at situations negatively, but people will always find ways to do things or make it easier for them, since they spot an opportunity.

[The Cryptovator]

Food for thought (some questions that I have):

Promise, I will be honest during answering even some of you may take it negatively.

1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

Straight answer, No. Unless I am forced to post for some reason then I won't reply on some of shit that really doesn't necessary any inputs from me. But if I am not any campaign, I love to be active, reading threads and reply where my inputs bring value.

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

Yes, I will support the forum. Even I introducing forum those want to learn about the crypto.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

Yes. I was popular on the forum due to exposed many scams. So definitely I will always try to prevent scams and protect forum users from the scammers.

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

At least not gonna join with well-known and proven scammer like 1XBET. Even they offer high payments still I will refuse.

I
1. I liked getting paid as well and I'll probably try to join campaigns again, if the legislation in my country gets better, or if the payments from campaigns increase to justify me getting paid.
2. My post can be summarized in the following question: "If you weren't getting paid, would you still be around?". My answer to this question is "Yes! I will!".

I am just wondering why the payment isn't enough to pay the tax. Isn't tax based on your income? It would a percentage of your income.

[LoyceV]

I needed to pay higher taxes than the money I was getting here.

It's hard to believe there are countries with crazier taxes than we have. But you're within EU, right? This sounds like a human rights (to property) violation, which isn't allowed under EU laws. Here, they're still trying to "fix" years of taxation on non-existing returns after losing lawsuits about it.

1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

I think I can safely say yes, I'm hooked to this place

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

I never did. I don't talk about Bitcointalk IRL, and I don't do social media.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

I've never gotten paid to tag scammers, report shitposts or send Merit, and yet, I still do it

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote?

What happens in the Foxhole stays in the Foxhole!

It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

I've rejected many signature (and campaign management) offers from services I don't like. I don't want to advertise anything I don't trust. I wish large advertising agencies on the planet were required to do the same, that would cost them billions and really reduce scams.

2. My post can be summarized in the following question: "If you weren't getting paid, would you still be around?". My answer to this question is "Yes! I will!".

Yup

[Halab]

Food for thought (some questions that I have):
1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

I don't think I can be considered like a zealous poster. If I post three times a week, I feel like a shitposter .
I allow myself the luxury of choosing my signature campaigns: no min posts, not having to post X number of messages in a section.
I once participated in a campaign where I had to post 15 messages per week, and I hated it. I felt dirty (especially when you have the Staff tag).
But it's easy for me to say that, I have a job, a roof over my head. Signature campaigns are a little bonus for my old days. If I lived in another country, in different circumstances, my answer would be completely different. But beware, signature campaigns will not last forever.

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

If it's to talk about Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies : yes.
If it's to defend shitposters, scammers : not really.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

Scams and moderation are complicated. That's why I'm not involved in the fight against scams.
But mod or not, paid or not, I don't think  I will get any more than that involved (except for obvious cases).

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

I try to quickly check out the service offered by the signature campaign. So far, I'have been lucky, there haven't been any major problems with the services I have had in signature (ok ok, I was in Chipmixer's campaign). My priority isn't money, but the rules of the campaign (and I try to avoid casinos when I can).

2. My post can be summarized in the following question: "If you weren't getting paid, would you still be around?". My answer to this question is "Yes! I will!".

Me too.
And I have discovered a new passion : creating weird games on a forum . So I will be around for a while longer. I hope.

[PrivacyG]

I believe this Topic comes at a perfect time for the situation that I fell in.  I was part of a Signature Campaign and I recently had a lot of workload offline.  I do not remember ever being in the situation of not passing the Post count and since the end of 2025 I had a little bit of difficulty doing it.

This put me in a bizzare situation.  Having almost no free time for my self during the week, I had very little time to write much and most of it was only around the weekends.  I was posting Replies to Topics I was interested in but I had a feeling of rush that I did not think I would ever have.  Other than the responsibility of passing the Post count, I can not explain to my self why considering I had periods of time in the past where I was not being paid by a Signature Campaign and I was still posting often.

The only other difference is that I do not think I have joined a Signature Campaign before that had a minimum Post count requirement and this one that I was in had a minimum of 20 out of which 10 had to be in the Gambling Board.  Being used mostly to 'pay per Post' Campaigns before, not only did I never have this rush caused by possibly not being able to pass the count for the week but I thought joining a Signature Campaign means accepting the responsibility of meeting its requirements and not meeting it is disrespectful to the Campaign Manager and to my self as I did not follow my part of the agreement.

This led to the start of a very unhealthy habit of rushing my experience on the Forum only so I could follow my part of the agreement, even if I had little free time.  It all peaked when I logged in close to the end of a Campaign week and had a power outage.  When power came back, I wrote a few Posts compressed in about 20 minutes or so before the week ended and that is where I had my first ever intentional Post burst.  And again.  I can not explain why I did it other than the minimum Post count provoking a mental rush.  I was part of many Campaigns paid per Post rather than paid per week and I did not mind being only paid a quarter of the full amount I could have other wise earned.  In fact, I believe I have many weeks in a row in some of the icopress Campaigns where I only posted half of the maximum count and I was very happy.

For these reasons I believe the best strategy for Managers is to keep their Campaigns on a 'per Post' payment structure rather than having a minimum count.  It probably helps every body.  This means less low quality Posts written in a rush which leads to more quality Posts on average and I am assuming also means the advertised Services get more clicks in the end.  To me it really looks like a win for all of us.

Anyway.  To compensate for my mistake, I tried asking the Manager to skip my last week count and not pay me for the week but I believe I was already kicked out by then as I did not get any reply back.  The lesson I learned out of this situation I was in is that I should never join a 'per week' paying Campaign again unless I know I had the time and Forum activity to meet my end of the agreement.

Long before I made my own account here, I was already browsing Bitcoin Talk often.  When I decided to join I did not plan to do it with the purpose of joining a Signature Campaign.  I found a lot of very interesting Topics I could not participate in, so after a long time of hanging around as a Guest I finally joined.  However, the truth for most of us is that Signature Campaigns are a good opportunity to stack up on some Bitcoin and most of us would not give the opportunity a pass.  I have seen many probably very Wealthy Members who are still participating in Signature Campaigns.  After all, a little bit of Money for spending time on your favorite Forum is not a bad idea at all.

But,

1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

I definitely would.  I believe this comes down to whether the Member actually cares about what is written on the Forum or they are here only for the earnings.  And for the most part, you can clearly see who is here for which reason based on the Replies they are writing.  I often find many very repetitive posts that are 5 percent an answer to the Topic and 95 percent a really very unnecessary chunk of text.

The only exception here is that although I do like Gambling, I am restricting my self a lot on the discussions I could other wise have there because I do not feel comfortable giving too much information about the types of Gambling I like and do.  So my Gambling activity during Gambling Signature Campaigns varies from Campaign to Campaign as I try to help the Manager and the Service that I am promoting by being more active on that Board while not exposing what I feel like is too much personal information.  Knowing some information I share may make links to my own identity gives me a lot of paranoia.

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".

I do not speak to any body outside of the Forum about my Bitcoin and even Privacy passion.  And this was long before people were getting tortured for their Bitcoin.  I have a few people I know and met who like Bitcoin too and I can discuss it with them as long as no other ears hear us, some of the people even being active Forum Members too.  Or, at least they were in the past.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?

Bitcoin Talk is one of the least Censored websites I could participate on so yes, I am extremely interested in the longevity of this Forum.  This is another reason I am disappointed about my self in the situation I described above.  I want to do my best part in making this Forum a better place, not a hell hole.  In every other place you see and go, Censorship is heavily present compared to Bitcoin Talk.  Try to talk freely on any other popular website, you will most likely be banned or silenced.  I would definitely try to stop any thing bad and teach or preach any thing good even if I was not getting paid.

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

I try to at least do my own research on the websites I am promoting although I have a mixed feeling about how much it matters whether the person actually likes or uses the Service they are advertising.  On one hand I believe the Member should advertise only the things that meet their own moral values and the things they actually use and like.  On the other hand I see Signatures as some kind of billboards being rented out instead of actual signatures promoting the Service on a personal level.  The only 100 percent exception is Services that are clearly Scams.  Of course these should never be advertised.

[bitbollo]

1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?
- Yes. This is the only place where I can talk and discuss about bitcoin since I have no other social networks (or at least I don't use it...)
In general, most of "old users" have earned good amount of money not for signature by itself but thanks to bitcoin and the right hodling.
Unfortunately no brain decides to take advantage of the system, but in general I could only support this as a way to get supported for creating valuable contents.

2. Would you support the forum to the outsiders, who would rationally wonder: "what on earth do all these people do there everyday?".
- Absolutely Yes. This is a great experiment. I would never imagine to talk with many foreigners, and to get many interesting ideas.

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?
- I have done this for free many many times since the internet born (I can define my self a native of internet from the first connections). This is a must to do and explain (quickly) why something is a scam not requires any effort.

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.
- Yes. Generally yes. In some cases I have supported altcoins even after receive their payments.

[apogio]

I am just wondering why the payment isn't enough to pay the tax. Isn't tax based on your income? It would a percentage of your income.

I need to form a legal entity to receive payments, which means I also need to pay some flat taxes. Without boring you with details, it's about 2500-3000 euros per year.

It's hard to believe there are countries with crazier taxes than we have. But you're within EU, right? This sounds like a human rights (to property) violation, which isn't allowed under EU laws. Here, they're still trying to "fix" years of taxation on non-existing returns after losing lawsuits about it.

Yes, I'm in Greece. Believe me... it sucks.

I think I can safely say yes, I'm hooked to this place

You're one of the few people for whom I don't have any single doubt

I've never gotten paid to tag scammers, report shitposts or send Merit, and yet, I still do it

This wasn't really my question. I know you're not paid for tagging scammers, but being paid in the forum gives you an extra need to keep it safe, doesn't it?

2. My post can be summarized in the following question: "If you weren't getting paid, would you still be around?". My answer to this question is "Yes! I will!".

Yup

Thanks for reading the whole post  


@Halab - good response. You mentioned a significant distinction between campaigns. Those which don't actually pay for a minimum number of posts are of course better and don't cause bullshit posts more than the others.  Also, now I got to try and find what games you may be referring to. 


@PrivacyG - good post, you covered all of my questions, I won't quote anything specifically, but good response overall!

3. Would you be actually interested in this forum's longevity and would you try to stop the scammers if you weren't getting paid?
- I have done this for free many many times since the internet born (I can define my self a native of internet from the first connections). This is a must to do and explain (quickly) why something is a scam not requires any effort.

Please read my response to LoyceV above, I believe my question was misunderstood. I was meaning that if you get paid and you need a sustainable payment resource through the forum, you gotta try to keep it safe. No?

[LoyceV]

I was meaning that if you get paid and you need a sustainable payment resource through the forum, you gotta try to keep it safe. No?

I wouldn't call Bitcointalk safe now, and I seriously doubt campaigns would pay less if scammers wouldn't get tagged. I'm not thinking about payments when tagging scammers.

[bitbollo]

...
Please read my response to LoyceV above, I believe my question was misunderstood. I was meaning that if you get paid and you need a sustainable payment resource through the forum, you gotta try to keep it safe. No?

No. I cannot empty a sea with a spoon.
Of course If I see a clear scam I made a report to moderator or I am ready to tag the user.
Personally, the idea that anyone could leave a trust/comment is really awesome. Of course I try to keep safe but in a certain case it can be a waste of time...
Moreover, if people cant understand by themself that "Elon Musk doesn't want double their bitcoin"... trust me, its really hard they understand even after many many hours of explanations graphs and so on...

[The Cryptovator]

I am just wondering why the payment isn't enough to pay the tax. Isn't tax based on your income? It would a percentage of your income.

I need to form a legal entity to receive payments, which means I also need to pay some flat taxes. Without boring you with details, it's about 2500-3000 euros per year.

I am really getting it hard to understand the tax issues. Even if you handle your crypto in a non-custodial wallet, would it still be traced? To get payment from the forum, you need a crypto address; probably no one could know about your address. I know you are honest and don't want to skip the tax, but you can spend this crypto for your daily needs or hold it for longer.

I am wondering how you have been handling your crypto profits if you are a trader? However, I wouldn't understand your situation, but the tax seems pretty high. Is it for receiving payment from abroad?

[Lucius]

~snip~
1. If you stopped getting paid today, for any reason, would you post with the same zeal that you post today? And more importantly, if you weren't getting paid, would you really need to say all the things that you say when you get paid?

Question for you - if someone is paid for 20 posts a week, and regularly writes over 30 posts, is he here just for the money or is there something else at stake? Members who have been here for a long time like me (10+ years) have probably long ago profited from BTC and it is unlikely that their motivation is a few hundred $ per month.

4. Do you actually know (or use) the website or service that you promote? It's not a trap question, I just want you to think if you'd jump from campaing to campaign simply because of the money, or if there's also a tie with the service that you promote.

You could have asked the question "Are you gamblers or not?", given that most (or perhaps all) of the sig campaigns are from the domain of online casinos. I'm more into sports betting (sometimes) so I'm not really interested in gambling. So whichever way you look at it, you can advertise gambling or nothing.

If the sig campaigns were shut down, I would still be here.

[Welsh]

When you say form an entity do you mean a "company" / "business". In the UK, you can file as self employed rather than opening a company for example. Not sure if your country has something similar.

To answer your question. Absolutely, getting paid to be here whether that's posting or moderation has absolutely helped with my interest. However, it has also lead to burn out. Over my years here I've taken multiple extended breaks, whether or not I would've done that if I wasn't 'working' I don't know.

However, I absolutely love moderation, and honestly would likely do it at a reduced rate, but don't tell theymos that . I was reporting for years, which was basically a full time job sometimes . However, I did it because I have a certain connection to this forum which I can't exactly explain why. I've never been a part of a community like this, and quite frankly I don't think I ever will be again. So, I want to see it improve, survive and thrive. Although, explaining that to anyone else that isn't a part of the forum...is impossible.

This place is special. Thanks to its leadership and community. Look, we all have disagreements, but I think we can all agree that the users who have been here for a long time, whether thats theymos or your average long term users we want this place to do well. That's why conversations and discussions like this keep happening. We care. A lot.

I am really getting it hard to understand the tax issues. Even if you handle your crypto in a non-custodial wallet, would it still be traced? To get payment from the forum, you need a crypto address; probably no one could know about your address. I know you are honest and don't want to skip the tax, but you can spend this crypto for your daily needs or hold it for longer.

Legally, you have to declare it. I file a self assessment every year for my earnings for moderation payments for example. If you aren't declaring it, at least in my country its illegal since its deemed income. So, if you want to be legal (which I do and it looks like OP does too) there's no way around it.

[Btcdeybodi]

I am really getting it hard to understand the tax issues. Even if you handle your crypto in a non-custodial wallet, would it still be traced? To get payment from the forum, you need a crypto address; probably no one could know about your address. I know you are honest and don't want to skip the tax, but you can spend this crypto for your daily needs or hold it for longer.

Legally, you have to declare it. I file a self assessment every year for my earnings for moderation payments for example. If you aren't declaring it, at least in my country its illegal since its deemed income. So, if you want to be legal (which I do and it looks like OP does too) there's no way around it.

I also find it difficult to understand this because it's not as if you are earning in your country's currency, this is crypto we are talking about here such that except you make a p2p transaction and convert it to your fiat currency that is when it should become an income for you to pay tax. You can hold crypto assets for as long as you want then any day you convert it to your country's currency that is when you should pay tax for it. How do you pay taxes on a currency that is not even your country's legal tender?

[LoyceV]

I am really getting it hard to understand the tax issues. Even if you handle your crypto in a non-custodial wallet, would it still be traced?

It's not about being unable to hide income from taxes, it's about being able to use your money legally.