Who owns Bitcoin?

[Wapinter]

It is a common knowledge that Satoshi created bitcoin,if in future he claimed his ownership on it and move the court to seek legal interference in getting back all coins in circulation or stored,what would possibly court rule?

[bob123]

It is a common knowledge that Satoshi created bitcoin,if in future he claimed his ownership on it and move the court to seek legal interference in getting back all coins in circulation or stored,what would possibly court rule?

He would not have success.
Bitcoin has been published as Open source protocol. Basically no way of someone "owning" it atm

[BellaBitBit]

Bitcoin is invented by Satoshi Nakamoto but it is common knowledge that his identity is not known.If there arise any dispute related to bitcoin or its ownership,how would it be settled by court of law or in other words who is the legal owner of bitcoin?

The legal owner of any bitcoin is the person holding the private key of the address which contains those bitcoins. That's it.

Don't need court or anyone else to decide that.

Exactly, you are the owner, I am the owner, my uncle is the owner.  We are all bitcoin - decentralized.

[cjmoles]

Bitcoin is assumed to be decentralized so it is owned by all who hold bitcoin.  However, if we look at the distribution of bitcoin, then we could safely deduce that bitcoin is held by a minority of early adopters who held onto their coin or who had invested it wisely.  So, that begs the question....is bitcoin decentralized in the truest sense of the definition?

[Sled]

Everyone owns bitcoin as long as you have an address with 1 satoshi in it holding the private you owned it.
Satoshi Nakamoto left 2010 but he dont own bitcoin just the concept.

[7788bitcoin]

Everyone can be one of the owners. It is governed by the rules of mathematics. If the encryption is cracked one day, bitcoin is done.

[hulla]

Bitcoin is invented by Satoshi Nakamoto but it is common knowledge that his identity is not known.If there arise any dispute related to bitcoin or its ownership,how would it be settled by court of law or in other words who is the legal owner of bitcoin?

Hi Wapinter,

Regulators will vary on a per-country basis, but you can expect to see national financial regulators interested in bitcoin and other virtual currencies, potentially along with regional regulators at a sub-country level.

Please view below useful link.

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_bitcoin_by_country

Congressional Research Service
=========================

2)https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43339.pdf

Thank you
CryptoJeweler

Dubai is not included

[Denker]

Every user/participant who is having some bitcoins, meaning holding the private keys, is an owner of Bitcoin!
I guess this will be the majority here.

[Master_dandosha]

The perfect aspect of the digital currency (Bitcoin is the mother of all) that no law , government ,or policy can prevent you from using bitcoin so this mean everyone participate in the blockchain is the owner of bitcoin.

[hulla]

The perfect aspect of the digital currency (Bitcoin is the mother of all) that no law , government ,or policy can prevent you from using bitcoin so this mean everyone participate in the blockchain is the owner of bitcoin.

Does that mean bitcoin is allow in Dubai?

[Jeremycoin]

Simple, the answer is "Us". We own Bitcoin, just check your wallet and you'll see that there's a Bitcoin in it.

[hulla]

Simple, the answer is "Us". We own Bitcoin, just check your wallet and you'll see that there's a Bitcoin in it.

Good to hear that and that's also relieving. You guys got me scared for seconds

[Wapinter]

Simple, the answer is "Us". We own Bitcoin, just check your wallet and you'll see that there's a Bitcoin in it.

Good to hear that and that's also relieving. You guys got me scared for seconds

I think you guys didn't get my question.It is obvious that who ever earned,mined or colllects bitcoin legally owns it just like anything else.But bitcoin is different in a sense that it wasn't sold or given away by its inventor.Instead it is generated by mining and since Satoshi proposed white paper on bitcoin,he has the first right on all bitcoins

[West man]

I think you need to watch:
Udemy The Complete Bitcoin Course.. you can find it on youtube 

They explain in the first 2 minutes who owns bitcoin. No one! 

[hulla]

I think you need to watch:
Udemy The Complete Bitcoin Course.. you can find it on youtube  

They explain in the first 2 minutes who owns bitcoin. No one!  

He is not talking about who own bitcoin. I think what he's trying to emphasizes is the uniqueness in bitcoin and how the miner are the one who ripe the fruit of every satoshi they mine not the inventor.

[bitraine]

It is a common knowledge that Satoshi created bitcoin,if in future he claimed his ownership on it and move the court to seek legal interference in getting back all coins in circulation or stored,what would possibly court rule?

nothing will happe, satoshi cant do that . miners have the proof of work, so they own bitcoins . and so do we buying bitcoins become the owner.

[Hazir]

Bitcoin is invented by Satoshi Nakamoto but it is common knowledge that his identity is not known.If there arise any dispute related to bitcoin or its ownership,how would it be settled by court of law or in other words who is the legal owner of bitcoin?

It is free for use for everyone. Bitcoin tech in this case - blockchain was never patented and it is completely open source project. Therefore is not own by anyone or anything.

[btvGainer]

Bitcoin is invented by Satoshi Nakamoto but it is common knowledge that his identity is not known.If there arise any dispute related to bitcoin or its ownership,how would it be settled by court of law or in other words who is the legal owner of bitcoin?

It is free for use for everyone. Bitcoin tech in this case - blockchain was never patented and it is completely open source project. Therefore is not own by anyone or anything.

Is Bitcoin is not a registered name? what about the bitcoin symbol? is it a registered trademark?

[Goms]

Bitcoin is invented by Satoshi Nakamoto but it is common knowledge that his identity is not known.If there arise any dispute related to bitcoin or its ownership,how would it be settled by court of law or in other words who is the legal owner of bitcoin?

I think a dispute can arise only between btc wallet owners and not the owner of btc. If it involves a software development mishap, then the developer will be taken to court, not Satoshi.

[NeilLostBitCoin]

All bitcoin users own it.