Categories: CryptoNews

Florida Judge Defines Bitcoin As Property Rather Than Money

Depending on how one wants to look at the situation, the judge ruling Bitcoin isn’t money is both good and bad at the same time. The judge ruled Bitcoin to be property, which may very well set a precedent for future Bitcoin-related court cases. As a result of this ruling, one man convicted of selling “illegally obtained’ bitcoins had both charges dismissed.

Bitcoin Is A Property, Which Is Good

This entire court case dates back several years, as one man was accused of selling illicitly obtained bitcoins to undercover

law enforcement officials in exchange for cash. All of this took place back in 2013, during a time when there were even more questions than answers regarding Bitcoin than there are right now.

Due to this arrest, the man was facing two different charges:

money laundering and acting as a payment transmitter. Particularly this latter part has been a topic of substantial debate so far, as money transmitters need to obtain specific licenses in just about any region of the world. However, that would also indicate Bitcoin is money, which is not the case in the US right now.

Florida Judge Pooler was appointed this case, and after thoroughly reviewing all of the evidence, she declared Bitcoin is property and not money. After all, if Bitcoin isn’t money, one can’t be a money transmitter. Nor can one be involved in laundering money, unless property laundering becomes a new criminal offense in the next few decades.



Related Post

The bigger question is what this decision will do to the status of Bitcoin in the United States. Granted, this decision should only affect the state of Florida, for now, and this ruling is not a guarantee every Bitcoin case will be deemed to be “property” instead of money. However, it does set an interesting precedent that may have much bigger ramifications moving forward.

One thing to keep in mind is the “verdict” on Bitcoin is not in the hands of court judges, unfortunately. Policymakers will shape the future of cryptocurrency in the coming years, and they may feel incentivized to have it labeled as money as a result of this court case. Either way, this is positive Bitcoin news, for now.

Image credit 1

If you liked this article follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin and altcoin price analysis and the latest cryptocurrency news.

JP Buntinx

JP Buntinx is a FinTech and Bitcoin enthusiast living in Belgium. His passion for finance and technology made him one of the world's leading freelance Bitcoin writers, and he aims to achieve the same level of respect in the FinTech sector.

Share
Published by
JP Buntinx

Recent Posts

Essential Guide to Crypto Presales in 2024: BDAG, SLOTH, SPONGEV2, SMOG, BTCMTX

2024's Premier Crypto Presale: BlockDAG’s 30,000x ROI Takes the Lead Over SLOTH, SPONGEV2, SMOG, and…

1 hour ago

Rising to New Heights: BEFE Coin’s $0.01 Potential

The BEFE coin is now living the dream that any creator in the cryptocurrency space…

3 hours ago

Why Analysts Believe Bitgert Coin Price Could Surge +2000% in the Near Future

Bitgert coin has endured a superb position of growth owing to the increase in demand…

3 hours ago

Framework Ventures Boosts Stake In Synthetic Protocol Amid Price Decline

The Synthetic protocol, represented by its native token $SNX, has experienced a notable decline of…

11 hours ago

Early Investor Moves 2.5 Million ONDO Tokens Amid Price Decline

The cryptocurrency $ONDO has experienced a 2.5% decline in its price today, adding to a…

12 hours ago

BlockDAG’s Momentum Surpasses Cardano Price Predictions & Toncoin’s Outlook

BlockDAG Leads with Moon Keynote Strategy as Presale Hits $20.6 Million Amid Cardano Downturn &…

18 hours ago