Chris Herbst operates at the intersection of tax law, data systems, and emerging financial behaviour.
As Managing Director of CountDeFi and CH Consulting, Chris helps crypto investors and businesses translate complex, fragmented transaction data into clear, compliant tax outcomes.
// BACKGROUND
Chris began his career in the tax industry in 2009, long before crypto assets entered the mainstream.
By 2015, his work had expanded into data-intensive roles, shaping a practical understanding of how large, imperfect datasets behave in the real world.He founded CountDeFi in 2012. When crypto taxation emerged as a distinct discipline years later, the firm was already positioned to handle its complexity through systems thinking rather than shortcuts. Since 2017, Chris has specialised in crypto asset taxation, supporting clients across the United States, Canada, Europe, and South Africa.
// FOUNDATIONS
A blend of finance and computer science education shapes Chris' analytical approach to crypto tax reporting.
Chris studied at Stellenbosch University, completing Bachelor’s Degrees in Investment Management and Computer Science with Mathematical Statistics, as well as an Honours Degree in Financial Analysis and Business Management. Chris is a registered Tax Professional with the South African Institute of Taxation and a registered Business Accountant with the Chartered Institute for Business Accountants
// APPROACH
Chris approaches crypto tax as a systems problem rather than a form-filling exercise.
His work focuses on understanding transaction flows, protocol mechanics, and jurisdiction-specific rules, then aligning them through consistent, defensible reporting logic. This methodology underpins both CountDeFi’s client work and its educational content, which draws on real-world case studies and regulatory guidance rather than theory alone.
// CONTRIBUTIONS
Chris contributes regularly to crypto tax education through long-form guides, insights, case studies, and reporting on regulatory updates.
His writing for CountDeFi focuses on explaining how crypto is taxed in practice, using real-world scenarios, evolving guidance, and data-led analysis to make complex rules easier to understand and apply.Beyond CountDeFi, Chris is a regular guest blogger for Koinly, where he contributes expert commentary on crypto tax reporting, compliance, and emerging regulatory trends. His work has also appeared across a range of publications in the accountancy, cryptocurrency, and personal finance space, helping bridge the gap between technical tax rules and everyday investor understanding.
Founder
