Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[clickerz]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

it all depend in Which country do you come from because in my country my government not admit bitcoin as the currency and if someone else losing their bitcoin they could not bringing lawsuits the thief
 

I see and you have a point here because bitcoin is not recognized by your government, no government control or unregulated. Yis illegal in the first place. :)ou have to use at your own risk.

[ObscureBean]

It might not be considered stealing if you're in country where Bitcoin is not defined under the law. Also you're not exactly stealing since there is no intent, the Bitcoin just fell into your lap. In your scenario, I would probably wait for a few days and if no one claimed it, I would consider it mine  I most definitely wouldn't go out of my way to try and find out who the owner is.

[Carlsen]

What if bitcoin owner and bitcoin stealer live in two different countries that have no treaties with each other?
Or the bitcoin owner lives in a country where bitcoins are illegal? I mean, can you steal something from a person he is prohibited to own?

[ice098]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

Stealing any money or things that has a value is Illegal . Stealing the bitcoin is illegal but wrong send in your new generated address is not illegal. Thats not your fault because you didnt plan to make it happen. So It is not your fault if you take it or not. Many people want to happen in their bitcoin address but few people only received a bitcoin in their bitcoin wallet that they dont know where it is came from.

[MTBTT]

What if bitcoin owner and bitcoin stealer live in two different countries that have no treaties with each other?
Or the bitcoin owner lives in a country where bitcoins are illegal? I mean, can you steal something from a person he is prohibited to own?

I think whatever you do. regardless of bitcoin banned or not a country. still stealing was banned and illegal? I'm sure you too would be angry and cursed if they steal your bitcoin

[daringdiscovered]

Of course yes, stealing bitcoin that is not yours is illegal and a bad thing to do. The hardship of others just to earn that amount and you will just gonna steal it is not good. Thieves like that don't have conscience of taking something that is not theirs. And they won't be successful by that.

[harizen]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

It's all yours and be glad.

LOL to other posters here . Of course it's obvious that stealing is illegal but that isn't the point of OP's concern.

[Wind_FURY]

Any kind of stealing is illegal but with bitcoin's case how can a person prove it was stolen from him? We've seen this over and over again where one person claimed he was hacked but then it was really an inside job.

[Anon_7716]

Any kind of stealing is illegal but with bitcoin's case how can a person prove it was stolen from him? We've seen this over and over again where one person claimed he was hacked but then it was really an inside job.

bitcoin is a case of theft that is hard is revealed. Because the bitcoin addres used by everyone is the addres without names. But it is not a matter of if we give special security against bitcoin we have. Bitcoin did have many negative effects (bad) but the bitcoin also has millions of positive things (profit)

[Zadicar]

Yes, stealing bitcoin to others is illegal as any parts of the world as you know stealing is a crime. All things that has value and doesnt belongs to us and you try to steal then its illegal no matter how small or big the amount is. In your case you dont have the intention to steal because it was accidentally happen i guess, So nothing to worry about.

[vero]

all you get from the stealing is a criminal offense and the law including the illegal act when you steal bitcoin has included illegal actions even though it will be hard caught because is hard to track transaction are made in bitcoin.

[darklus123]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

In your title you have stated that is stealing bitcoin illegal. Yes it is there is no legal stealing lol. But in the situation you have said it is not considered as stealing

[Senor.Bla]

It seems to me that everybody here tells you that this is not possible (well in theory maybe but not very likely).
So even if you would have found someones private key and some BTC on the address nobody would you believe.
Everybody would assume that you stole it and i don't know how you could prove otherwise.
BTW i think every caught thief will tell you he just found the private key by chance.
 

[topiOleg]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

it all depend in Which country do you come from because in my country my government not admit bitcoin as the currency and if someone else losing their bitcoin they could not bringing lawsuits the thief

I pretty much doubt Bitcoin status has any impact on it. Stealing is stealing, no matter if Bitcoin stollen from randomly generated adress (or brainwallet passphrase) or TV stollen from some open house. From the point of law it doesnt matter what you steal as long as it has some value.

[Sponsoredby15]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

thats a 200% miracle if happens i wish i'd could do that also im always checking my emails to check if theres someone sent me 1 btc or more hahaha it a dream come true if ever someone sent me for nothing anyway for me its not a stealing it just a gift for someone don't think about it think its a bless by someone 

[Whosdaddy]

Let's say I generate a new address and by some miracle it has Bitcoin already in it belonging to somebody else. Is it legal to just take it? I understand those odds are very low, no need to lecture me, I'm just interested.

Then why you are calling it stealing?
It is a situation very much similar to getting some bitcoins accidentally when someone will be sending to a wrong address.

I just want to consider my stand on above situation, definitely I will try to announce/contact the owner of that address by opening a thread here and I will verify their claim with a signed message to return and in your case (you both having same private-key), he will secure those bitcoin by sending to another bitcoin address.

[frankmb]

Well it would be strange if it would just happen, but i did receive somewhat like 0.03 btc once on a existing address which weren't my coins.
I just returned it to the senders address, but i do the same with a wallet i find on the street or when the person in front of me forgets to take the money out of the ATM.

[john2231]

That is a bad way to have a bitcoin and i think its illegal or even they are not announce it its illegal its against the law and we all have those law..
So better to dont try it to stealing someones bitcoin better to do a task here in our forum that you can earn bitcoins..

[Jimbola3]

For sure steal something is ilegal anywhere, because we are talking about bitcoin wouldnt be ilegal, just because bitcoin isnt yet accepts, but it has value as well even with countries not accepting it yet.

Yes it is surely illegal even if bitcoin is not regarded as acceptable international currency it is still in many places legal plus many consider it as the shares which is not anyhow related to bank. But you will not be able to report it in the police station.

[steven0021]

There's another very similar thread here (same title, even), might want to look at it. I think it is illegal but I'm not sure what the outcome would be if someone was bought to a court for the sole reason of stealing bitcoins. I'll just leave that to the lawyers...