Zakat on Bitcoin and crypto: what you actually owe
Tradable crypto is commonly treated as wealth: valued at its market price on your Zakat date and charged at 2.5%, like cash or gold.
Most contemporary scholars treat tradable cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin as Zakatable wealth. Value your holdings at their market price on your Zakat date, include exchange and self-custody balances, and pay 2.5% if your net wealth meets Nisab. Price volatility does not make it inaccessible, and whether owning a token is permissible is a separate question.
Why crypto is usually Zakatable.
Where a cryptocurrency is liquid and beneficially yours — you can sell or transfer it — most contemporary scholars treat it as wealth for Zakat, much like cash or trade goods. That means its fair market value on your Zakat date joins your other assets, and 2.5% applies if your net total meets the Nisab threshold.
Count balances on exchanges and in self-custody wallets alike, using one consistent price source and timestamp on your Zakat date.
One price, one moment.
Crypto moves fast, so pin the valuation to a single point: the market price of each holding in your reporting currency at your Zakat date. Do not use a high from earlier in the year or a purchase price — use the value on the day. Keep a screenshot or CSV export for your records.
Volatility is not inaccessibility. A falling price does not remove Zakat; you value what the holding is worth on your date, whatever the market has done.
Staked, locked and novel tokens.
Coins locked in staking or vesting, and unusual tokens whose nature is unclear, may need specialist review — do not assume they are simply spendable, and do not assume they are exempt just because they are temporarily locked. When in doubt, seek qualified guidance for the specific asset.
Whether acquiring a particular token is permissible is debated and depends on what it is. Calculating Zakat on a holding is not a ruling that owning it is lawful.
Questions people ask.
Is Zakat due on Bitcoin?+
For most contemporary scholars, yes: tradable crypto you beneficially own is treated as wealth, valued at its market price on your Zakat date and charged at 2.5% if your net wealth meets Nisab.
What price do I use for my crypto?+
The market value of each holding in your reporting currency on your Zakat date — not a purchase price or an earlier high. Keep a dated record of the valuation.
Do I pay Zakat if my crypto has lost value?+
You value it at whatever it is worth on your Zakat date. Volatility does not remove the obligation; it simply changes the figure you calculate.
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