Spending ethereum or any other cryptocurrency and taxes sounds complicated. How are you doing this?

In the US I understand that using cryptocurrency to purchase something is the same as selling crypto from a tax perspective.

With each purchase using a cryptocurrency, you must calculate the gain by keeping track of the cost basis. How does that work?

Are you spending bitcoin and paying taxes? How do you hold on to your bitcoins? What is the impact of holding it in a place like coinbase as opposed to some other method.

I want to buy a small amount of a cryptocurrency but I have a lot of questions and it is difficult to wade through the hype and misinformation.