Home / Price oracle
Crypto

Price oracle

An oracle that supplies asset prices used by protocols to value collateral, determine borrowing limits, or trigger liquidations.

What is Price oracle?

An oracle that supplies asset prices used by protocols to value collateral, determine borrowing limits, or trigger liquidations.

Why it matters on your return

Oracle prices decide when your collateral is liquidated and at what terms. For tax, the liquidation is a disposal at the protocol's execution, so the oracle indirectly sets your proceeds. Oracle manipulation losses are investment losses, generally capital.

Example

An oracle briefly reports a stale price and your position is liquidated. The disposal is real and the proceeds are what the protocol applied to your debt; a claim against the protocol, if any, is a separate matter.

If an oracle error caused my liquidation, is the loss deductible?

The liquidation is a realized disposal, so any loss against basis is a capital loss. Whether you also have a recoverable claim does not change the tax on the disposal.

Source: IRC 1001; IRC 165

Last reviewed September 18, 2026. Tax rules change; confirm current law before acting.

Share this article
TALK TO US

Not sure how this applies to you?

A confidential consultation. Tell us what you have, and we will tell you what applies and what it costs.

SCHEDULE A CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION

Tell us what you have. We will tell you what applies and what it costs.

Hourly billing, estimated up front, with a deposit applied to the work.

Get started

Fill this out and we will reach out to schedule your consultation.