Crypto transaction ledger example with date, type, asset, quantity and price columns
Most crypto tax problems do not start at tax time. They start months or years earlier, when nobody wrote down what was bought, sold, swapped or received. Exchanges close, wallets get abandoned and old CSV files disappear, and then you are guessing your own cost basis.
The fix is simple and free: keep a single spreadsheet where every transaction gets one row. In this guide you will see exactly which columns to use, how to log each type of transaction, a worked example with real numbers, and the mistakes that leave gaps in your records.
Important: tax and record-keeping rules differ by country. This guide teaches a method that works as a base almost anywhere, but check what your country requires.
Last updated: October 2026.
Why Good Records Matter
- They set your cost basis. Without the original price you paid, you cannot calculate a gain or a loss correctly, and you may overpay tax.
- They protect you. If a tax authority asks questions, records let you answer with evidence instead of memory.
- They save time. Entering transactions as you go takes minutes. Rebuilding a year of history takes days.
- Platforms are not forever. Exchanges shut down, change formats or limit how far back you can download your history.
The Columns Every Row Needs
Create a spreadsheet with one row per transaction and these columns:
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | The date (and time, if you can) of the transaction |
| Type | Buy, Sell, Swap, Spend, Reward or Transfer |
| Asset | The coin or token, for example ETH |
| Quantity | How many coins you bought, sold or received |
| Price per unit | The market price in your local currency at that moment |
| Fee | Trading or network fee, in your local currency |
| Total value | Quantity × price, plus fees for purchases and minus fees for sales |
| Platform or wallet | Where it happened, for example Exchange A or your own wallet |
| Notes | Transaction ID, the source of the price, or anything that explains the row |
How to Log Each Type of Transaction
| Type | What to note |
|---|---|
| Buy | Date, asset, quantity, price paid, fees and where you bought it |
| Sell | The same details, with proceeds after fees. If you can choose which coins you sold, note which ones |
| Swap | In many countries a swap counts as selling the first coin and buying the second, so log two rows with the market value on that date |
| Spend | The quantity you spent and the value of what you bought, in your local currency at that time |
| Reward | Staking, mining, interest or airdrops: the quantity and the market value when you received them. This is often income and also becomes your cost basis |
| Transfer | From where to where, quantity and network fee. It is usually not a sale, but it must be recorded so your coins can be traced |
A Worked Example
Here is how a year of ETH activity looks in the ledger:
| Date | Type | Asset | Quantity | Price | Fee | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-15 | Buy | ETH | 1 | $2,000 | $0 | Exchange A |
| 2026-03-12 | Buy | ETH | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | Exchange A |
| 2026-06-20 | Reward | ETH | 0.1 | $3,000 | $0 | Staking |
| 2026-09-05 | Transfer | ETH | 0.5 | n/a | $4 | Exchange A to own wallet |
| 2026-12-10 | Sell | ETH | 1 | $4,000 | $20 | Exchange A |
With just those five rows you can answer the questions that matter at the end of the year:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Income from rewards | $300 (0.1 × $3,000) |
| Sale proceeds after the fee | $3,980 ($4,000 − $20) |
| Cost basis of the ETH sold, using FIFO (the first purchase) | $2,000 |
| Gain on the sale, using FIFO | $1,980 ($3,980 − $2,000) |
| ETH still held | 1.1 ETH, with a cost basis of $3,300 ($3,000 + $300) |
| Fees recorded | $24 ($4 + $20) |
Notice that the $4 transfer fee is recorded even though the transfer is not a sale. Whether such fees can be added to your cost basis or deducted depends on your country, but you cannot use them at all if you never wrote them down.
How to Set It Up in 8 Steps
- Create the spreadsheet. Use the columns above in Excel or Google Sheets.
- List every place you used. Exchanges, wallets, apps and platforms, including ones you stopped using.
- Download the history from each exchange. Most offer a CSV export in the account or tax section.
- Add your wallet activity. Use a block explorer to find transactions that exchanges do not show you.
- Standardize everything. Same date format, same currency and the same Type names in every row.
- Record the price source. Note where each price came from, so you can use the same source consistently.
- Update it every month. Five minutes a month is far easier than a weekend in April.
- Back it up. Keep one copy in the cloud and one on your computer or an external drive.
Common Record-Keeping Mistakes
- Relying only on the exchange's report. It cannot see your other wallets or platforms, so the cost basis can be wrong.
- Not logging transfers. Without them, coins appear from nowhere and your history cannot be traced.
- Skipping the small transactions. Many small trades or rewards add up, and they can matter for tax.
- Mixing currencies. Pick one currency for your records and note the exchange rate source when you convert.
- Forgetting rewards. Staking, interest and airdrops are easy to miss and are often taxable as income.
- Waiting until the deadline. The older the transaction, the harder it is to find the data.
Spreadsheet or Crypto Tax Software?
A spreadsheet is free, flexible and fine for a few dozen transactions on a couple of platforms. If you make hundreds of trades, use DeFi or have many wallets, crypto tax software can import data automatically and save a lot of time, although you should still review its results. Either way, the habit of keeping clean records is what matters, and your spreadsheet is useful as a backup even if you later use software.
How Long Should You Keep Your Records?
It depends on the country, and in many places it is several years after the tax year in question. Check the rule where you live and keep your files at least that long, longer for coins you still hold, because their original purchase records set your cost basis.
Key Takeaways
- One row per transaction, with date, type, asset, quantity, price, fee and where it happened.
- Log swaps, spending, rewards and transfers too, not only buys and sells.
- Record the fees and the source of each price.
- Update monthly and back up your file in two places.
- Good records make every tax tool and every accountant more useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which price should I record?
The market price in your local currency at the time of the transaction, from a source you can name. Use the same source consistently, and write it in the Notes column.
Do I record transfers between my own wallets?
Yes. They are usually not taxable sales, but they show where your coins went and let you prove your cost basis later.
What if an exchange I used has closed?
Look for old emails, statements and CSV files, check your bank or card history for deposits and withdrawals, and use a block explorer for on-chain activity. Reconstruct what you can and write down how you did it.
Do I need to record very small transactions?
It is best to record all of them. Some countries have exemptions or thresholds, but you can only use them if you know the totals.
Once your records are ready, you can estimate your taxes with our free Crypto Tax Calculator and check the result of a trade with the Crypto Profit Calculator.
Educational content only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Tax and record-keeping rules differ by country and change often. Check the rules where you live or speak with a qualified tax professional. The numbers in the examples are illustrations, not predictions.
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