You are mistaken, and your advice has the potential to severely harm people who take it. The IRS has been very explicit that, as with all barter, they want their slice and are entitled to it under law. The details are in their 2014 guidance, which you should read carefully if you're messing with cryptocurrency without competent legal or tax advice. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-14-21.pdf