Crypto Exchanges Reward Users with Tokens for Completing Courses and Quizzes

Crypto exchanges and platforms are offering rewards to users who complete educational courses and quizzes about specific digital assets and protocols. Coinbase, Binance, and Revolut are among the major exchanges operating such programs. Users can earn up to $35 in OP tokens on Coinbase's Base network, between $1 to $5 in crypto per completed campaign on Binance Learn and Earn, and up to $15 in DOT tokens on Revolut's Learn and Earn program. TokenPicks, a newer entrant, distributes daily reward tokens and monthly Bitcoin prizes to users who top its quiz leaderboard rankings.

The IRS treats crypto earned through learn-to-earn programs as taxable ordinary income at the fair market value on the date the tokens are received. This means participants must report the income on their annual federal tax returns, regardless of the dollar amount they received. The tax treatment mirrors the rules applied to airdrop distributions and promotional crypto giveaways.

Platforms operating reward programs must comply with local securities and money transmission laws in each jurisdiction where they distribute token rewards. Coinbase's transition from centralized rewards to on-chain Wallet Quests signals a broader shift toward decentralized education incentives.