Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[coins101]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

[cherac]

The reason why someone might think stealing bitcoin is not illegal is because bitcoin is basically "Magic internet money" I first came across it in 2011 , back then I heard rumours that is was dangerous money for hackers so I stayed away from the stuff . I joined the whole bitcoin bandwagon this year and invested in a site called hashocean and boom , they stole my bitcoins  . So you ask me , once that commodity , property ,object , entity ,atom or whatever belongs to someone and you even borrow it without his concern its illegal . Bitcoin might be magic money from the air and so is your ideas , so if stealing ideas is illegal , stealing bitcoins is also illegal .

[BitMaxz]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

Its imposible that you can find a private key in internet for free. unless if you made a private key generator and try to install it in electrum..
Or if you have bought a data base with a lots of private key and addresses and you have a brute force we can say that is an illegal..

[pakitz]

from the word itself stealing.. its a crime.. so its not legal.. 

[BlackPanda]

Of course . any actions that harm someone is a crime that deserves punishment.
it's a normal thing, and all things shall be given an appropriate reply.

[coins101]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

Its imposible that you can find a private key in internet for free. unless if you made a private key generator and try to install it in electrum..
Or if you have bought a data base with a lots of private key and addresses and you have a brute force we can say that is an illegal..

The whole point is that it's statically impossible to find private keys, even if you have a number generator.  But there is always a random chance of finding a key. That's not stealing.

Hacking into someone's network or phone is stealing.

[dunfida]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

Its imposible that you can find a private key in internet for free. unless if you made a private key generator and try to install it in electrum..
Or if you have bought a data base with a lots of private key and addresses and you have a brute force we can say that is an illegal..

The whole point is that it's statically impossible to find private keys, even if you have a number generator.  But there is always a random chance of finding a key. That's not stealing.

Hacking into someone's network or phone is stealing.

Finding  private  key is somewhat impossible  as same as others said  even if you used number generator  its still useless. You are right if you bought  a database then its possible to access those accounts thats not yours which is trully an illegal thing to do. At OP if   he get those bitcoin on that wallet address  then it might not be considered as stealing since if he intend to give back those coins he didnt even know whos the owner of that bitcoin.

[sourris01]

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.

Perhaps all of the shares related to bitcoin is illegal if the country in which are held not recognize bitcoin official currency of these operations. This is a very delicate question and the answer can be given only after a specific study of the issue.

[PizzaBTC]

I wouldn’t attempt to steal. But OP is assuming some else as stealing. There are many people that could find information about you on the internet. You should never steal bitcoin. You might end up messing with the wrong person.

[septian44]

You can use the wallet for many different purposes,use a new Bitcoin address each time you receive a payment,hear bitcoin address and has a balance and you ask if it's illegal?..it's your lucky day because it does not steal Unless you are interested in receiving donations or public payment.

[Colt22]

Taking something that is not yours is really illegal may it be bitcoin or anything that you take without any authority from the owner. In the case you've given wherein you accidentally have bitcoin in your wallet upon generating it and you don't know who gave it then it is not stealing because there is no intention. But a chance of this happening is near to impossible.

I agree with you a thing that you don't own is not your property and you must not stole it. Because think about it, when you have your own bitcoin and another person steals it. What are you going to feel? That is just like karma and it is for real. So if you don't want to happen to you, then don't do it to others.

Absolutely right, if every person imagine like that then they will respect everyone feelings and will not like to hurt every one and will try to pay what the other dues are and will not accept stolen bitcoins etc.

[YuginKadoya]

Taking something that is not yours is really illegal may it be bitcoin or anything that you take without any authority from the owner. In the case you've given wherein you accidentally have bitcoin in your wallet upon generating it and you don't know who gave it then it is not stealing because there is no intention. But a chance of this happening is near to impossible.

I agree with you a thing that you don't own is not your property and you must not stole it. Because think about it, when you have your own bitcoin and another person steals it. What are you going to feel? That is just like karma and it is for real. So if you don't want to happen to you, then don't do it to others.

Absolutely right, if every person imagine like that then they will respect everyone feelings and will not like to hurt every one and will try to pay what the other dues are and will not accept stolen bitcoins etc.

Well if anyone would know if the transacted bitcoin are stolen that would be easy but I think that would be very hard to know, but you can trace every bitcoin address that takes part in every transaction and that is the time you would know when a transaction is made and where would the bitcoin would go, Well I think that would be the time he would know if his bitcoin got stolen.

[arwin100]

Taking something that is not yours is really illegal may it be bitcoin or anything that you take without any authority from the owner. In the case you've given wherein you accidentally have bitcoin in your wallet upon generating it and you don't know who gave it then it is not stealing because there is no intention. But a chance of this happening is near to impossible.

I agree with you a thing that you don't own is not your property and you must not stole it. Because think about it, when you have your own bitcoin and another person steals it. What are you going to feel? That is just like karma and it is for real. So if you don't want to happen to you, then don't do it to others.

Absolutely right, if every person imagine like that then they will respect everyone feelings and will not like to hurt every one and will try to pay what the other dues are and will not accept stolen bitcoins etc.

Well if anyone would know if the transacted bitcoin are stolen that would be easy but I think that would be very hard to know, but you can trace every bitcoin address that takes part in every transaction and that is the time you would know when a transaction is made and where would the bitcoin would go, Well I think that would be the time he would know if his bitcoin got stolen.

You cannot trace the bitcoin transaction if it passes on some mixer already and that is actually what the scammers doing now thats why they are very hard to trace and cannot be sue,

@OP anything you stole wheter it is have amount or not aslong as it's not yours well it can be also called stealing and that qct is strongly prohibited by law since this doing is illegal act by those people who cannot do good deeds to people and want easy money on their pocket.

[YuginKadoya]

Taking something that is not yours is really illegal may it be bitcoin or anything that you take without any authority from the owner. In the case you've given wherein you accidentally have bitcoin in your wallet upon generating it and you don't know who gave it then it is not stealing because there is no intention. But a chance of this happening is near to impossible.

I agree with you a thing that you don't own is not your property and you must not stole it. Because think about it, when you have your own bitcoin and another person steals it. What are you going to feel? That is just like karma and it is for real. So if you don't want to happen to you, then don't do it to others.

Absolutely right, if every person imagine like that then they will respect everyone feelings and will not like to hurt every one and will try to pay what the other dues are and will not accept stolen bitcoins etc.

Well if anyone would know if the transacted bitcoin are stolen that would be easy but I think that would be very hard to know, but you can trace every bitcoin address that takes part in every transaction and that is the time you would know when a transaction is made and where would the bitcoin would go, Well I think that would be the time he would know if his bitcoin got stolen.

You cannot trace the bitcoin transaction if it passes on some mixer already and that is actually what the scammers doing now thats why they are very hard to trace and cannot be sue,

@OP anything you stole wheter it is have amount or not aslong as it's not yours well it can be also called stealing and that qct is strongly prohibited by law since this doing is illegal act by those people who cannot do good deeds to people and want easy money on their pocket.

When a signature campaign would pay you bitcoin your bitcoin address would record the transaction or bitcoin address of the payer, I think this can be traceable and that is what I mean about tracing the said transaction, you can see the bitcoin address of a transaction in your wallet, or if your wallet has these kind of report transaction you would know the bitcoin address but not the person involve in the said transaction.

[drwtsn32]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

But if you stole a private key, then it is illegal.
Stealing is illegal. And you know what? It applies to everything. Not just to bitcoin.
Unless, you were stealing a toy from a child, that kind of stealing is not illegal.

[bitjoin]

If you accidentally find a private key and you can't know the owner, then its probably not illegal.

But if you stole a private key, then it is illegal.
Stealing is illegal. And you know what? It applies to everything. Not just to bitcoin.
Unless, you were stealing a toy from a child, that kind of stealing is not illegal.

Stealing a toy from a child is still stealing = illegal.  Unless you are another child and at play school or something - i assume thats what you mean? If you take a kids skateboard in the street though its a different story.  

Anyway bottom line is dont steal peoples bitcoin under any circumstance.  Ethical trading contributes to the world. Provide services and people will be happy to give you bitcoin freely.

[serjent05]

from the word itself stealing.. its a crime.. so its not legal.. 

Simple and very straightforward.  and very correct.  I wonder  where did those who  think that stealing bitcoin is legal.  Any rules or referrence for this?  Anything  that have relation to getting what is not yours is very immoral and it is stated in  that it is punishable by law making it not legal.

[agustina2]

Well if anyone would know if the transacted bitcoin are stolen that would be easy but I think that would be very hard to know, but you can trace every bitcoin address that takes part in every transaction and that is the time you would know when a transaction is made and where would the bitcoin would go, Well I think that would be the time he would know if his bitcoin got stolen.

You cannot trace the bitcoin transaction if it passes on some mixer already and that is actually what the scammers doing now thats why they are very hard to trace and cannot be sue,
@OP anything you stole wheter it is have amount or not aslong as it's not yours well it can be also called stealing and that qct is strongly prohibited by law since this doing is illegal act by those people who cannot do good deeds to people and want easy money on their pocket.

When a signature campaign would pay you bitcoin your bitcoin address would record the transaction or bitcoin address of the payer, I think this can be traceable and that is what I mean about tracing the said transaction, you can see the bitcoin address of a transaction in your wallet, or if your wallet has these kind of report transaction you would know the bitcoin address but not the person involve in the said transaction.

It's obvious that all bitcoin transaction are recorded in the blockchain and that is a basic knowledge.

But anyways it's not the OP concern. The coins are mistakenly received by it's new generated address and I think it's just fine if OP will use it since it's all accident and no such thing as reversible in bitcoin transaction.

[GoBlue05]

Of course it is stealing and really immoral and unethical. Just because it is quote on quote internet money and you don't see the face of someone you are stealing from doesn't make it okay. The main difference between stealing bitcoin and stealing someone's fiat money is that your more likely to not get in trouble with stealing someone's bitcoin.

[Iceborn]

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.

Yeah of course it is illegal but the thing is that there is not much that an be done about it, you cannot call the cops on them so no one is going to help you.
You will have to do something your self if someone stole from you.