Compilation of legal and regulatory information

This page will be a compilation of various legal and regulatory information and cases along the world. Add new information and stories to the top of the relevant country section. See also on bitcointalk.

Contents

United States

  • 2013
    • March 18: issues regulatory guidance stating that “a user of virtual currency is not an MSB … however an administrator or exchanger is an MSB“.[1]
    • July 23: In the case of Trendon Shavers’ Bitcoin Savings & Trust ponzi scheme, a Texas court rules that “Bitcoin is a currency or form of money“.[2]
    • August 12: New York regulators subpoena multiple Bitcoin firms in probe on criminal risk.[3]
    • August 27: The Bitcoin Foundation meets with US regulators and law enforcement.[4]
    • November 7: Judge orders to pay back Bitcoin to .[5]
  • 2014
    • February 27: In Florida, and are charged with money laundering for selling Bitcoins to undercover agent on LocalBitcoins.[6]
    • March 25: IRS issues clarification to tax digital currencies as property, not currency.[7]
    • April 14: Charlie Shrem indicted on federal charges of money laundering.[8]
    • April 29: FinCEN issues rulings that say cloud mining and escrow services are not money transmitters.[9]
    • August 1: Bitcoin Foundation urges court to dismiss money laundering charges in Florida LocalBitcoins case[10]
  • 2015
    • Feb 5: In the case of Ross Ulbricht, a New York court states that “one can launder money using bitcoin“.[11]
  • 2016
    • July 22: Florida 11th Judicial Court rules “Bitcoin is not money” and the defendant is declared not guilty of money laundering.[12]
  • 2017
    • April 17: In New York, charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business for exchanging Bitcoins.[13]
    • July 4: An Arizona neurologist, , charged with selling Bitcoin without a license.[14]
  • 2018
    • June 21: US Supreme Court justice mentions that “Bitcoin could someday be a medium of exchange“.[15]
    • July 9: In California, is sentenced to 1 year in prison for Bitcoin money laundering for exchanging Bitcoins for cash without registering as a money services business with FinCEN.[16]
  • 2019
    • January 30: In the case, the State of Florida appealed the earlier 2016 decision, and Florida’s Third District Court of Appeals decided that selling Bitcoin to another person is required to comply with money transmitter laws, reversing the earlier 2016 decision.[17]
    • June 3: In San Diego, sentenced to 21 months in prison by a US district judge for exchanging Bitcoin on LocalBitcoins without a license.[18]
    • October 11: The IRS adds new question on virtual currencies to income tax form.[19]
    • December 25: US Representative Paul Grosar (R-AZ) introduces the that aims to define the regulatory bodies responsible for various tokens.[20]
  • 2020
    • January 16: US Congresswoman Suzan Delbene (WA) introduces the that aims to exclude small personal purchases from capital gains tax treatment.[21]

Germany

  • 2013
    • July 31: Bitcoin.de registers with Germany’s financial regulator BaFin.[22]
    • August 19: Germany recognizes Bitcoin as “private money“.[23]
    • October 11: German officials state that there is no sales tax on purchases of Bitcoin in Germany.[24]

Canada

  • 2013
    • May 21: Canadian regulators take the stance that Bitcoin exchanges are not considered Money Service Businesses.[25]

Thailand

  • 2013
    • July 30: The Thailand Central Bank wrongfully interprets law as “Bitcoin illegal in Thailand“.[26]

UK

  • 2020
    • January 22: The UK tax authority HMRC seeks blockchain analytics tools to help track crypto users for criminal activity.[27]

India

  • 2020
    • January 21: The Reserve Bank of India makes a clarifying statement that it has not banned Bitcoin in India.[28]

See Also on BitcoinWiki

References

  1. ↑ http://fincen.gov/statutes_regs/guidance/html/FIN-2013-G001.html
  2. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/sec-charges-texan-man-for-defrauding-investors-in-bitcoin-ponzi-scheme
  3. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-12/n-y-regulator-subpoenas-firms-over-bitcoin-crime-risks.html
  4. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-26/bitcoin-group-to-meet-with-federal-regulators-law-enforcement.html
  5. ↑ http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/11/07/judge-orders-coinlab-to-pay-up-in-bitcoin/
  6. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/localbitcoins-users-criminal-charges-florida
  7. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/internal-revenue-service-treat-digital-currencies-property
  8. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/charlie-shrem-indicted-federal-charges-money-laundering
  9. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/fincen-digital-currency-cloud-mining-escrow-services-arent-money-transmitters
  10. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-foundation-urges-court-dismiss-charge-florida-localbitcoins-case
  11. ↑ https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/New_York_Southern_District_Court/1–14-cr-00068/USA_v._Ulbricht/183/
  12. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/court-reject-bitcoin-money-florida-espinoza-trial
  13. ↑ https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/rochester-man-pleads-guilty-case-involving-bitcoins
  14. ↑ https://reason.com/2017/07/04/phoenix-neurologist-is-charged-with-sell/
  15. ↑ https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-gets-shoutout-us-supreme-court-opinion
  16. ↑ [https://www.dojupdate.com/2018/07/bitcoin-maven-sentenced-to-one-year-in-federal-prison-in-bitcoin-money-laundering-case/
  17. ↑ http://www.klgates.com/trouble-in-paradise-florida-court-rules-that-selling-bitcoin-is-money-transmission-02-13-2019/
  18. ↑ https://www.the-blockchain.com/2019/06/03/bitcoin-inc-ceo-morgan-rockcoon-busted-21-months-in-prison-and-fines/
  19. ↑ https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-irs-makes-change-to-standard-questions-in-regards-to-cryptocurrencies
  20. ↑ https://www.securities.io/a-look-at-the-cryptocurrency-act-2020/
  21. ↑ https://dailyhodl.com/2020/01/16/us-congress-weighs-bitcoin-for-coffee-and-pizza-introduces-virtual-currency-tax-fairness-act-of-2020/
  22. ↑ http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-de-registers-with-germanys-financial-regulator-bafin/
  23. ↑ http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/19/germany-recognizes-bitcoin-as-private-money-sales-tax-coming-soon/
  24. ↑ http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1o7ldb/wow_bitcoin_no_sales_tax_payment_in_germany/
  25. ↑ http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239415/Canadian_regulator_takes_lighter_view_of_Bitcoin
  26. ↑ http://gigaom.com/2013/07/30/did-thailand-really-ban-bitcoin-dont-be-so-sure/
  27. ↑ https://decrypt.co/17184/hmrc-explains-why-it-wants-to-track-your-bitcoin?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sm
  28. ↑ https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/cyptocurrency-not-banned-in-india-rbi-says-in-supreme-court-4837591.html/amp