Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[Bestwishes745]

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.

if someone steal bitcoins then it is near to impossible to recover them back and only those can help them who will have the bitcoin as if he want to recover your bitcoin then you can get your bitcoins back.

[kekman1337]

It's just as illegal as stealing anything. There's less regulation than IRL and in stores, but the concept is the same. Just don't do it, simple as that. You also get that terrible feeling that you just stole something from someone; doesn't happen to everyone, but you get the idea.

[molsewid]

200% illegal stealing money from another people lol make sense people you if your the one who have money in this forum and someone steal it then you'all be happy?  ofcourse no right and you want that money to bring back or get it back.

[JITENDERPAR3]

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 is just like lucky bitcoiner or you can say miracle . but if you qant to return btc to the user whose is , then it is impossible . because due to peivacy of bircoin user no one can find the owner of btc . now enjoy btc which you get in adress .

[carlfebz2]

200% illegal stealing money from another people lol make sense people you if your the one who have money in this forum and someone steal it then you'all be happy?  ofcourse no right and you want that money to bring back or get it back.

Yeah it is really not a good thing if you are going to steal someones bitcoin illegally. And if you are going to think out of it, anywhere if someone is going to cheat or steal that is not a good act. Because bitcoin or not as long as you are going to steal someones property that is really an act of crime and you are just making bad for your reputation.

In the sense that you get someones possesion without his permission or  awareness then its considered as stealing and its very illegal in anyway. Where did you hear that stealing is legal? Stealing is stealing and  its definitely a crime  no matter what thing you get from someone.

[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.

it is just like lucky bitcoiner or you can say miracle . but if you qant to return btc to the user whose is , then it is impossible . because due to peivacy of bircoin user no one can find the owner of btc . now enjoy btc which you get in adress .

Its a very rare situation which somehow a bug on processing newly generated bitcoin address since as we all know that newly generated addresses is unique and  dont have any identical even how many users  are here in bitcoin world. As you said  giving back the money on the money would be impossible  since  you didnt even know if whos the owner.

[Altitude]

Guys stealing is illegal plain and simple, tho BTC is not technically a legal entity if you steal it from some one and they can prove it you will get into trouble

[YuginKadoya]

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.

That is what I am telling him that the transaction are recorded and can be trace if what bitcoin address it will go to,

Well if the case that it is just a generated address and has a bitcoin in it that he doesn't know if who's bitcoin it is well he can surely get a grip of that coins, maybe it is not a crime because he got access on a free address that has a bitcoin but it is not through your hardship so I think it is free bitcoin so he can take it without further adieu.

[martinacar]

Ofcourse stealing bitcoin is illegal doesn't matter what you steal stealing anything is illegal cause you are taking something which is not yours.
Scamming etc is a different story though but still illegal if you ask me just sad nothing happens.

[pmstalk]

200% illegal stealing money from another people lol make sense people you if your the one who have money in this forum and someone steal it then you'all be happy?  ofcourse no right and you want that money to bring back or get it back.

You are right it is illegal & unethical but the people who bad minded they are searching for such unethical activities . We must be alert & aware with security of BTCconsecrating such thing our system will become strong enough to avoid such illegal thins.

[Doamader]

This is the question without sense, op stealing is legal into any country? Because its digital should be allowed? If you walk in the street and found a pack with money without no one near its yours you found, but if you see a person dropping something and you dont warn the person is stealing.

[Rostadom]

I think any form of "stealing" should be illegal no matter what currency that is. The thief should be put in jail once there are enough evidence/proof of stealing. Stealing is illegal and immoral as well. Don't do that.

[crairezx20]

I think any form of "stealing" should be illegal no matter what currency that is. The thief should be put in jail once there are enough evidence/proof of stealing. Stealing is illegal and immoral as well. Don't do that.

yeah its should be illegal but i didn't here some any news are saying that stealing is illegal but its one of the bad things that i heard in any news..
so we can considered it as illegal.

[agustina2]

Ofcourse stealing bitcoin is illegal doesn't matter what you steal stealing anything is illegal cause you are taking something which is not yours.
Scamming etc is a different story though but still illegal if you ask me just sad nothing happens.

But that is not the main concern here.

Of course we all know that stealing bitcoin is illegal so no questions about it but that is not the point.

Although odds are low to happen, OP is just curious if those action of his will considered as illegal.

[Milkduds]

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 would not see this as stealing,would put it in the realm of finding five dollars on the road. Most people would look around to see if anyone is in the proximity that may have dropped it and if not they would just put it in their pocket. Doubt many would walk to the local police station and hand it in.
It would be stealing in a sense if you know who the person is and could return the money,otherwise I think most of us except that bitcoin has that tendency to lose funds time to time in putting in the wrong address.
Moral debate is really open to to many aspects due to upbringing and beliefs.

[xdrpx]

I think any form of "stealing" should be illegal no matter what currency that is. The thief should be put in jail once there are enough evidence/proof of stealing. Stealing is illegal and immoral as well. Don't do that.

Yes it's illegal, but considering OP's post, he/she's asking if a bitcoin address is generated and already has funds in it considering we use something like vanitygenerator to generate a Bitcoin address and then retrieve a private key which already exists. In this case if done of out no knowledge that it already exists, it would then not really account to stealing. But the chances of that happening is very very small.

[avikz]

Stealing anything is not legal anyway, not just bitcoin. However, other than physical good, bitcoin thieves will be hard to track due to the anonymity that bitcoin offers.

But I think anyone can register a case with police in any country for loosing bitcoin under cyber crime act. And if you are lucky enough, then you might get back the stolen fund as well.  

[malmoghetto]

Guys stealing is illegal plain and simple, tho BTC is not technically a legal entity if you steal it from some one and they can prove it you will get into trouble

no matter bitcoin is money or digital toy in any country, stealing a toy or money is apparently illegal.

[YuginKadoya]

Guys stealing is illegal plain and simple, tho BTC is not technically a legal entity if you steal it from some one and they can prove it you will get into trouble

no matter bitcoin is money or digital toy in any country, stealing a toy or money is apparently illegal.

Yup! it will always go down to a illegal issues, but if there are no witness or no evidence at hand that can be given I think getting something that isn't yours can be bail without any records that you have steal it, I think there are certain cases like this happening around and many people are bailing because there are no further evidence and witness to file a crime against someone.

[bryant.coleman]

Guys stealing is illegal plain and simple, tho BTC is not technically a legal entity if you steal it from some one and they can prove it you will get into trouble

no matter bitcoin is money or digital toy in any country, stealing a toy or money is apparently illegal.

Bitcoin theft is in the grey zone. It can be defined as "illegal", but the laws are not clearly defined in most of the jurisdictions. There are always some loopholes, which the thief can utilize to avoid any form of punishment. A perfect example is that of Mark Karpelès. He stole some $650 million worth of coins, and he is still free. Another example is that of Tomáš Jiřikovský, who stole coins from the Sheep Marketplace.