Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[Kelarid]

It is not illegal from the courts perspective but it is immoral. So you will have to live with yourself and that choice you've made for the rest of your life. If you can tolerate having a dirty soul and don't care if you do then you are the devil and will have eternity in hell to contemplate for what you have done.

In some countries, if you receive money due to the error of the sender, you have to return the money.

[QuestionAuthority]

Apparently, not if you own an exchange.

[betohell]

wrong question.

stealing is by definition illegal. the answer is always yes.

yeah I think whatever your situation and circumstances? stealing is illegal? what if the circumstances in which you do not have any money and you need it? that is the reason many people gain steal?

[funbarrel]

wrong question.

stealing is by definition illegal. the answer is always yes.

more or less you are right about it, stealing has always been and will be illegal there is no discussion about it, its just not good to take something that is not yours

[shinratensei_]

i think it is illegal to steal anything, not matter what it is, online item, currency, or real life one, if you steal that, you do illegal thing. if i were you i wouldn't steal any bitcoins

I used to think stealing it not legal. But after the Ethereum DAO hacker, I get confused. Many people say stealing due to a bug in software is legal.

I might have to personally get the coins to my other wallet because it would have been a shame to just keep them there if the past owner isn't able to spend them anymore.

But, does the old owner knows about it. if from consider about the OP's topic maybe the old owner will not realize some of him amount is disappeared because miracle. if we considering about this the feeling becomes good way to solve this between wanna to using it or not.

[madwica]

i think it is illegal to steal anything, not matter what it is, online item, currency, or real life one, if you steal that, you do illegal thing. if i were you i wouldn't steal any bitcoins

I used to think stealing it not legal. But after the Ethereum DAO hacker, I get confused. Many people say stealing due to a bug in software is legal.

I might have to personally get the coins to my other wallet because it would have been a shame to just keep them there if the past owner isn't able to spend them anymore.

But, does the old owner knows about it. if from consider about the OP's topic maybe the old owner will not realize some of him amount is disappeared because miracle. if we considering about this the feeling becomes good way to solve this between wanna to using it or not.

I think also OP is a lucky person he only accidentally open a wallet with a huge bitcoin amount but this is not his fault i think that is not form of stealing OP can do what he want on that coin because that coin is already on his property.

[Achargeturry78]

it would be simple.
theft by finding.
still theft.

it would be simple but stealing is always illegal why because your mother not taught people or their children to do such thing like this no one mother want their children to called theft because mother always want the best for their children , but if you are going to steal , for me don't because it just money but if you steal for some reason then i will agree with people who have a reason to steal char!

[BeGoods]

Yes! Of course stealing bitcoin is illegal. Still, if you find a forgotten wallet/lost wallet, it'll not be illegal. Because, owner of those bitcoin might have forgot about that.

And it will be very painful time for the person when he will find that his coins from his address has been used by another person, so the better and moral option is that we do not have to use those bitcoins which we do not own and we do not have earned with our work, but of someone else.

yeah i think people who intend to steal the wallet though it is not used by someone that but I'm sure people are taking money from the wallet others are evil and immoral. Whatever the reason stealing is wrong and harmful to others. no benefit resulting to others when you stole

[richkellj]

Yes! Of course stealing bitcoin is illegal. Still, if you find a forgotten wallet/lost wallet, it'll not be illegal. Because, owner of those bitcoin might have forgot about that.

And it will be very painful time for the person when he will find that his coins from his address has been used by another person, so the better and moral option is that we do not have to use those bitcoins which we do not own and we do not have earned with our work, but of someone else.

yeah i think people who intend to steal the wallet though it is not used by someone that but I'm sure people are taking money from the wallet others are evil and immoral. Whatever the reason stealing is wrong and harmful to others. no benefit resulting to others when you stole

However, given the op's situation, I'm guessing the past owner wouldn't be able to have any access to his old address since it has been overlapped by a new key. That's not really considered stealing, more like a bitcoin glitch and he's rewarded for that and technically, he shouldn't be blamed for that since it really wasn't his fault in the beginning.

[Hellacopter]

Stealing money is it legal ? Bitcoin is just money and currency like the other currencies, so stealing it is illegal of course, but some scammers think it's more easy to steal bitcoin than other currencies because bitcoin is decentralized

[nejibens]

Yes, there is no doubt that stealing bitcoin is illegal and very bad behavior, i really don't see any difference between stealing bitcoin or stealing gold, dollars..

[Bitcotalk]

Yes, there is no doubt that stealing bitcoin is illegal and very bad behavior, i really don't see any difference between stealing bitcoin or stealing gold, dollars..

Stealling bitcoin is illegal, but in the main thread the OP is describing some other situation, and I am sure that in that situation if we do a deep research then we will find that also a way of stealing bitcoins of someone else. We should have to keep our eyes on our bitcoins only and have to refund any amount which we get by mistake from any address.

[joshvette001]

Stealing is stealing, no doubt about that.
Why would it be any different if it were fiat that you were stealing?
The value of them are relatively the same with more bitcoin is worth.

[batang_bitcoin]

Stealing is stealing, no doubt about that.
Why would it be any different if it were fiat that you were stealing?
The value of them are relatively the same with more bitcoin is worth.

I agree, stealing is always been illegal and it is not a good act if you are going to do that. Even though there is no law about stealing of bitcoin is a crime. Let's just think about it that in human rights, bitcoin stealing is going to be a crime and that is not going to be a good thing if you are going to do it. So, don't think about it.

[danherbias07]

Stealing is stealing, no doubt about that.
Why would it be any different if it were fiat that you were stealing?
The value of them are relatively the same with more bitcoin is worth.

I agree, stealing is always been illegal and it is not a good act if you are going to do that. Even though there is no law about stealing of bitcoin is a crime. Let's just think about it that in human rights, bitcoin stealing is going to be a crime and that is not going to be a good thing if you are going to do it. So, don't think about it.

I dont really know how did the OP think about this. How did thr question popped up in his mind. I hope he is not trying to steal someone.

[bravehearth0319]

Yes , stealing is illegal . It's doesn't matter what you want to steal.
As you stealing from other people , this illegal on most countries.But it's hard to track if someone steal the bitcoin amount.

Indeed, all act of illegal activities known as a bad habit, bad behaviour, and it is a kind of evil doer. And there are no such things good in illegal matter that's why its called STEALING.

[Xester]

it would be simple.
theft by finding.
still theft.

it would be simple but stealing is always illegal why because your mother not taught people or their children to do such thing like this no one mother want their children to called theft because mother always want the best for their children , but if you are going to steal , for me don't because it just money but if you steal for some reason then i will agree with people who have a reason to steal char!

Yup stealing of course is illegal and it is a sin.  It is not your property or you do not own it so if you steal it, it is a sin and a crime.  Your desire to have the thing that you want and you do not have, so you will do something like stealing.  I do not know why someone would steal just to have them without thinking it is a sin.   

[madwica]

it would be simple.
theft by finding.
still theft.

it would be simple but stealing is always illegal why because your mother not taught people or their children to do such thing like this no one mother want their children to called theft because mother always want the best for their children , but if you are going to steal , for me don't because it just money but if you steal for some reason then i will agree with people who have a reason to steal char!

Yup stealing of course is illegal and it is a sin.  It is not your property or you do not own it so if you steal it, it is a sin and a crime.  Your desire to have the thing that you want and you do not have, so you will do something like stealing.  I do not know why someone would steal just to have them without thinking it is a sin.   

Those people who steals other property those people are unemployed, without proper education or some are with bad attitude, but like on the OP statement i do not see the form of stealing because he accidentally generate bitcoin address with huge amount of bitcoin we do not know who is the owner of that address and anyone can say that they are the owner even it is not true. I think OP is a lucky person.

[SvenBomvolen]

   Stealing is illegal in whole world, finding something is different. Depends from how good you are, you will keep it or return it. I don't understand how can someone stumble on address with bitcoins. I understand that wallet generate address almost every time, but how is possible to generate address with bitcoins in it? That doesn't have sense in my mind.
   Now when I read comments I also don't know how I can find the owner of some bitcoin wallet? How to send him some message, sign that you wish to return coins? This is very confusing for me, I never thought about something like this.

[adriaymati58]

Even those not considering bitcoin a legitimate currency right now, it is still a commodity with a value, Stealing something like bank certificates worth etc.. is still illegal, Stealing a TV is illegal, Of course stealing bitcoin is illegal and the person would be punished mostly if caught.