Is stealing Bitcoin illegal?

[swisstar]

you create a new wallet and there is bitcoin in the wallet  that you create ?!?!

[Vinz24]

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.

Of course it is illegal simply because it is stealing and it belongs to someone else. But there is no law at this moment when you steal bitcoin. It just your conscience.

[danherbias07]

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.

Of course it is illegal simply because it is stealing and it belongs to someone else. But there is no law at this moment when you steal bitcoin. It just your conscience.

Problem is how can you contact the one who sent you money. If it is just a code it will really be hard. Even you have conscience if you dont know how to sent it back it will be mess.

[wedatin]

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.

Of course it is illegal simply because it is stealing and it belongs to someone else. But there is no law at this moment when you steal bitcoin. It just your conscience.

That is right. Stealing bitcoin is the same as stealing other goods which does not belong to the thief.

[Pierre 2]

Stealing is illegal but the thing in first post is not stealing but being lucky I feel.
It won't quite happen anyways.

[crairezx20]

I think we can not say that stealing bitcoin maybe we can say hack if they know your password your account can be hack and your bitcoin can be gone.. stealing is other term but the real is hack. i still never heard any news that someone wallet are stealing by others.. because they can not bring the wallet only inside bitcoins  that can send them in their wallet..

[SONG GEET]

I think odds of getting same bitcoin address and private key is almost zero. I have seen somewhere that total number of bitcoin address that can exist is more than the total number of sands particles whole world have. So probability is so low i think in range of 0.000..........00001%.

[20kevin20]

I think odds of getting same bitcoin address and private key is almost zero. I have seen somewhere that total number of bitcoin address that can exist is more than the total number of sands particles whole world have. So probability is so low i think in range of 0.000..........00001%.

Yes, it's very very complicated. To get the same address and private key is like impossible. It's one of the reasons for which I was scared to get a cold wallet, but as soon as I found out the possibility... Come on, I can't be the unluckiest person in the world!

[Quietman]

I think we can not say that stealing bitcoin maybe we can say hack if they know your password your account can be hack and your bitcoin can be gone.. stealing is other term but the real is hack. i still never heard any news that someone wallet are stealing by others.. because they can not bring the wallet only inside bitcoins  that can send them in their wallet..

You got the point there hacking is different way from stealing. But they have the same purpose. What do hackers do when they are hacking something, they are stealing information, money and everything. So we can still say that hacking is stealing and stealing is hacking no matter what they have different meaning to each of us but the fact that they are not a good way for others to do that.

That is right. There is no difference between the hacking and stealing in the physical world. The effect is the same.

[springgers]

I asked God to earn 1000 Bitcoin, he don't gave it to me, so I hacked a exchange and asked forgiveness.

Think about that.

[Altynbekova]

Stealing bitcoin is just as illegal as stealing money from someone so yes it's very illegal but ofcourse it's hard to catch a bitcoin thief.
So yes it is illegal and very difficult to do I imagine cause bitcoin has a good security.

[noictib]

i think this is starting to use this address so you should be honest toward that person.  you should be a honest bitcoiner so that everyone in bitcoin world can make trust to each other .

[SANALIU]

US japan and rusian can regulated
although not yet full regulated is good
all crypto coin not legal regulate but still is run,
you want bitcoin full regulated you can get very dificult use same use with paypal

[bitlancr]

Stealing is always illegal if you call it stealing already cause it means taking something which isnt yours without asking that's illegal in any place.
Stealing bitcoin won't really work anyways if you don't have the information of the other person it's near impossible to hack.

[kateaustin]

IMO Of course it is, Stealing bitcoin is illegal as much as stealing money, although bitcoin is not considered money yet so not directly illegal in the aspect of it being money but it has a value therefore it's not preferred at all...

[Zadicar]

IMO Of course it is, Stealing bitcoin is illegal as much as stealing money, although bitcoin is not considered money yet so not directly illegal in the aspect of it being money but it has a value therefore it's not preferred at all...

You are correct, stealing  something to someones possesion is already a crime and theres no way that it shouldnt be called as  stealing.  Bitcoin is  money  because  it has value  and we all know  even how small amount did you get its still stealing and  its illegal in any ways.

[drwtsn32]

Stealing is always illegal if you call it stealing already cause it means taking something which isnt yours without asking that's illegal in any place.
Stealing bitcoin won't really work anyways if you don't have the information of the other person it's near impossible to hack.

Even if he's been able to find a way to somehow hack into other's account or wallet, the answer will be the same: it is illegal.
There is no kind of "stealing" in the world that is legal. It applies not just to bitcoin, but to everything.

[YuginKadoya]

not just bitcoin stealing everything is illegal,lol how may you ask this question ?

Curiosity always is a burden, and he is just curious in things he doesn't know well in my opinion it is maybe OK to get something if the owner is unknown or the thing you have seen and then get a hands on it doesn't claim by anyone then I think it is OK to take it, but if someone else would claim that it is his or her then I think a proper hearing on things between the one claiming and the one that found the item may take part.

this is what im telling them from the start.  it is not a thief if you found something in your doorstep and no one claims it.  First that area is your property, basically that wallet address you created is yours.  If anything in there without someone claiming it, automatically become yours.  Example, a baby found in  a ship without knowing the childs parents and nationality will become a citizen of the country  of that ship.

the hard part is the one with the "claiming it". the debate starts if someone claims it is his and you doubt it (he could be lying to get free stuff) and/or think it is to late to claim it (already spent it).

Yup! if someone really claim it, but if no one does then I think it is safe to say that you can freely take it but in the case of a child that has been abandoned by his parents I think you can surely keep him in the meantime but if his legal parents came looking for him they have an authority to take him fro you but if you take legal action by adopting the child then you have a legal rights to fight for the right but bitcoin is not like a child that may take legal action to be taken from you if the address is truly yours and you have created it they there is bitcoin in it then I think you are free to take it.

[Rinder]

The problem around bitcoin is that if you find or got a payment from someone by mistake its up to you refund those person or not. No one can judge you doing anything about those.

[Noctis Connor]

Stealing is always illegal if you call it stealing already cause it means taking something which isnt yours without asking that's illegal in any place.
Stealing bitcoin won't really work anyways if you don't have the information of the other person it's near impossible to hack.

To be the oP is so pathetic and it really obious that stealing someones money or bitcoin is illegal acitivity then he gonna ask if is legal or illegal how people nowadays like media they always manipulating people to believe them on what they are going to do. hayst.