Germany's federal finance ministry has issued guidance on the income tax treatment of crypto, the first nationwide instructions on the topic.

Individuals can sell bitcoin or ether tax free after one year, parliamentary state secretary Katja Hessel said in a statement.

The guidance deals with issues like mining, staking, lending, hard forks and airdrops, as well as the tax treatment of buying and selling bitcoin and ether, the finance ministry said.

Read more: Germany's Commerzbank Applies for Local Crypto License