Dan Morehead, founder and managing companion of Pantera Capital, is going through a federal tax investigation following his relocation to Puerto Rico, a widely known tax haven.
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee (SFC) is analyzing whether or not Morehead improperly claimed tax exemptions on over $850 million in funding earnings after transferring to the island in 2020.
In line with a Jan. 9 letter from Senator Ron Wyden, reviewed by The New York Occasions, Morehead might have categorized these earnings as tax-exempt regardless of U.S. legal guidelines that require reporting of earnings sourced from the mainland.
U.S. Expands Probe Into Rich People Utilizing Puerto Rico Tax Incentives
The investigation is a part of a broader probe into high-net-worth people who’ve moved to Puerto Rico to benefit from tax incentives.
“Usually, nearly all of the achieve is definitely U.S. supply earnings, reportable on U.S. tax returns, and topic to U.S. tax,” the letter reportedly acknowledged.
Morehead, in response, defended his tax practices, stating, “I consider I acted appropriately with respect to my taxes.”
He additionally clarified that he moved to Puerto Rico in 2021, not 2020 as initially instructed.
Pantera Capital, which Morehead based, was the primary cryptocurrency funding fund within the U.S.
1/ Senate Finance Committee targets Pantera Capital's Dan Morehead as a part of investigation on tax compliance by rich People who’ve moved to #PuertoRico. A Jan 9 from Sen. Wyden requests detailed information about $850M in funding earnings he made after transferring to PR in 2020. pic.twitter.com/IMCVMjHfSW
— Javier Balmaceda (@JBalmaceda787) February 15, 2025
Since its launch, the agency has reported substantial development, with early investments rising by over 130,000%, based on a weblog submit Morehead printed on Nov. 26, 2024.
Pantera’s Bitcoin Fund, launched in 2013, achieved a lifetime return of greater than 1,000 occasions its preliminary funding when Bitcoin was priced at $74.
Presently, Pantera Capital manages over $5 billion in property, with investments spanning greater than 100 ventures, practically half of that are primarily based outdoors the U.S.
Regulatory Scrutiny on Crypto Taxes Intensifies
Morehead’s case emerges amid heightened regulatory concentrate on cryptocurrency tax compliance.
In June 2024, the Inside Income Service (IRS) launched new rules requiring third-party reporting of cryptocurrency transactions for the primary time.
Beginning in 2025, centralized exchanges (CEXs) and brokers will likely be mandated to report the gross sales and exchanges of digital property, together with cryptocurrencies.
The rule has sparked concern throughout the crypto business, with critics warning that it might push buyers towards decentralized platforms, complicating tax enforcement.
In response to the brand new rules, the Blockchain Affiliation filed a lawsuit in opposition to the IRS in December 2024, arguing that the company’s expanded definition of “dealer” unfairly contains decentralized exchanges, imposing extreme reporting necessities.
Beneath the ultimate rules, brokers will likely be mandated to report gross proceeds from cryptocurrency and digital asset gross sales, in addition to particulars about taxpayers concerned in such transactions.
The brand new guidelines have additionally raised considerations amongst blockchain builders and decentralized finance (DeFi) advocates.
Platforms utilizing good contracts to facilitate transactions might now be categorized as brokers, inserting important compliance burdens on builders of DeFi front-ends.
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