Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[serjent05]

4216.msg15738536#msg15738536 date=1469716303]

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 from someone is Illegal, no matter what the thing is whether a good or money.

So ethics say that you should leave that wallet address and generate another one.

I suggest use it. It wasn't your fault to land that BTC in your hand.  The fact that you generated the address is one main reason that you own that address.  If it is not yours then, there should be some private key to that so that you cannot use or move that Bitcoin. (Security Measure)  But if you can move it around and use it. It's yours. Consider it as bonus

[potatopower]

i think that stealing bitcoins is definitely illegal because taking something from other people is a bad thing for sure

[sana54210]

Every wallet is highly secure and generated with unique address, so the possibility to get a bitcoin address coinciding with other is nil. Very rare it happens.

Not 'very rare' but afaik, never has it happened ever before. The chances of collision is not at all possible even the bitcoin address are being generated offline. For an instance, if there is a collision occurs but not sure both persons will be alive to use that address "currently". Because bitcoin address are being used with "use and throw" habit. More over, we have the practice of having cold storage too that would minimize some possibilities again.

In my view people demanding ransom in terms of bitcoin is illegal than stealing, because in any way stealing is really hard with the improved and increased security features.

Stealing itself is already illegal, let alone asking ransom for it be it bitcoins or any item at all.

[Universat]

stealing of bitcoin is as illegal as stealing of cash money. stealing mean stealing either it is in crypto currency or in cash. either it is stealing of some material objects or vertual object. all have the same meaning and same result.

[panju1]

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.

I don`t believe in miracles.If somebody sends btc to your wallet by mistake this isn`t stealing bitcoins.
It will be ethical to return those bitcoins.
I would return them,if i receive large amount of btc.

Not a lot of people will do that anymore. This world have been corrupted since it was created. But with your choice that would be correct and I hope after you do that at least the owner should give you a reward.

Returning of property doesn't happen in the real world.
It is even more unlikely to happen in the virtual world.

[rio3233]

I think every word that have stealing, it's illegal. But in bitcoin world, it's no rules about stealing people's bitcoin, it's make people want scam and steal bitcoin for easy bitcoin.

[dunfida]

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.

I don`t believe in miracles.If somebody sends btc to your wallet by mistake this isn`t stealing bitcoins.
It will be ethical to return those bitcoins.
I would return them,if i receive large amount of btc.

Not a lot of people will do that anymore. This world have been corrupted since it was created. But with your choice that would be correct and I hope after you do that at least the owner should give you a reward.

Returning of property doesn't happen in the real world.
It is even more unlikely to happen in the virtual world.

As of now you're definitely right, returning someone's possession that you steal is nearly impossible since no one would never give you a reward unless if you find those things and don't have the intention to steal maybe you'll get a reward if you return to owner but if you have an intention to get those things then you l surely. Decide not to return because you have planned it already.

[rickadone]

I think that if you is stealing bitcoins in country when bitcoins is not legal, goverment will not start careing about it, but in countries where bitcoin is legal you will be a criminal.

That is kind what is a problem in bitcoins. To some country, you really can not take legal actions if someone stole your bitcoins from you. However, I would not be fearing about a overwriting address because it is highly unlikely for it to happen.

[X-ray]

I think that if you is stealing bitcoins in country when bitcoins is not legal, goverment will not start careing about it, but in countries where bitcoin is legal you will be a criminal.

well it's not our mistake if we generate an address and suddenly found some bitcoin in it,and it's definitely not stealing,so there's not enough evidence to prove that we're stealing because the ones who send the bitcoin is the sender and using his own hand

[Barbut]

Stealing is illegal act, but to report it to police you need to be legal in country you live. Yesterday I saw news about one guy who got 6 months jail for bitcoin ponzi scheme, that was in US. I don't think every government will proces this things.
Bitcoin still need to get laws that determine borders of legal and illegal, Russian's talked about banning bitcoins and I doubt someone can report there stealing of bitcoins.
Defenitly thiefs and scammers are using this 'no laws' situation, they are aware that even if they get caught nothing will happen. Cause of this people are still afraid to invest in bitcoins.

[jakelyson]

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.

If you just created the wallet and it has some bitcoins in it, then it probably is yours. So taking it would not be illegal or have any immoral aspects in it. You cannot steal something that is already yours, right? And this scenario will never happen anyway. so no point in discussing it anyway.

[Decoded]

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.

If you just created the wallet and it has some bitcoins in it, then it probably is yours. So taking it would not be illegal or have any immoral aspects in it. You cannot steal something that is already yours, right? And this scenario will never happen anyway. so no point in discussing it anyway.

Nope. You obviously have no idea how the bitcoin protocol works. Your wallet generates a private key for each address it has. Since theres no way to find if an address has already been generated, your wallet has a 2¹⁶⁰ chance of generating an address in use. So it would be basically like randomly guessing a password to an account, or randomly guessing credit card details.

[pandalion98]

Stealing is illegal act, but to report it to police you need to be legal in country you live. Yesterday I saw news about one guy who got 6 months jail for bitcoin ponzi scheme, that was in US. I don't think every government will proces this things.
Bitcoin still need to get laws that determine borders of legal and illegal, Russian's talked about banning bitcoins and I doubt someone can report there stealing of bitcoins.
Defenitly thiefs and scammers are using this 'no laws' situation, they are aware that even if they get caught nothing will happen. Cause of this people are still afraid to invest in bitcoins.

There's a big difference in "randomly generated" and deception.
The usual thing is that, if you generate an address, it's yours. Do whatever you want with it including taking the balance if it has a balance.
Deception, on the other hand, is illegal.

For me, if ever I generated an address with a balance, I'd post a signed message that bitcoin, or the underlying hashing algorithms that generate BTC addresses, is broken. Hashing algorithms aren't supposed to have any collisions.

[ronaldo40]

obviously, any kind of stealing is illegal. but in the case of online sometimes it is a mistake, and we do not even know the owner of the address. so it really belong to you, and can be said no steal.

[diegz]

obviously, any kind of stealing is illegal. but in the case of online sometimes it is a mistake, and we do not even know the owner of the address. so it really belong to you, and can be said no steal.

That's true, if you don't mean it and just found it in your wallet, then definitely it is yours and I don't think that it is illegal.. You could just return it to the owner if he could show proofs that it is his bitcoin, if you don't give it even if he has a solid proof, there will be a dispute, and that I think would make you stealing his bitcoin and probably he is the legal owner of that. 

[jakelyson]

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.

If you just created the wallet and it has some bitcoins in it, then it probably is yours. So taking it would not be illegal or have any immoral aspects in it. You cannot steal something that is already yours, right? And this scenario will never happen anyway. so no point in discussing it anyway.

Nope. You obviously have no idea how the bitcoin protocol works. Your wallet generates a private key for each address it has. Since theres no way to find if an address has already been generated, your wallet has a 2¹⁶⁰ chance of generating an address in use. So it would be basically like randomly guessing a password to an account, or randomly guessing credit card details.

So are you saying that in your lifetime, you will generate an address that already is in use? Because you are contradicting what I said, so I guess you are saying you can generate one even if you are against the odds. I just gave a hypothetical answer to a hypothetical question.

[Chennai]

obviously, any kind of stealing is illegal. but in the case of online sometimes it is a mistake, and we do not even know the owner of the address. so it really belong to you, and can be said no steal.

As said, stealing is an offense 's is an illegal a activity. I am sure Bitcoin wallet is well secured with a vigilant protective system. How stealing is.possible. I heared people say, it can not be hacked. Am I right?

[Zadicar]

obviously, any kind of stealing is illegal. but in the case of online sometimes it is a mistake, and we do not even know the owner of the address. so it really belong to you, and can be said no steal.

That's true, if you don't mean it and just found it in your wallet, then definitely it is yours and I don't think that it is illegal.. You could just return it to the owner if he could show proofs that it is his bitcoin, if you don't give it even if he has a solid proof, there will be a dispute, and that I think would make you stealing his bitcoin and probably he is the legal owner of that. 

Yes its not stealing if you dont have intention to get those bitcoin and  you dont have motive to get such possesion of others. Stealing is illegal in any ways either small or big amount. For an incident of bitcoin address have bitcoin  and you dont have knowledge what happen  to such thing then  its not stealing  just keep those bitcoin and be thankful for the blessings.

[Herbert2020]

this thread is way off the real topic that OP was asking once.
right now everybody is just reading the subject of the thread and starts spamming about "stealing" bitcoin. although it is part OP's mistake for not asking his question properly and not locking this thread.

[Capradina]

this thread is way off the real topic that OP was asking once.
right now everybody is just reading the subject of the thread and starts spamming about "stealing" bitcoin. although it is part OP's mistake for not asking his question properly and not locking this thread.

I think that's probably true, but I see only a small part. So not everyone who is here doing the spamming, so this is not a problem that is not problematic. This thread made it possible to make we can further deepen about bitcoin with negative point of view or the like