Running a node and legal concerns

[ardacik]

Hello;

I want to run a bitcoin node, but i'm concerned on legal issues. For example if a drug dealer makes a transaction on bitcoin, and busted. Let's say transaction used my node, will it make me a trouble?

Thank you!

[OmegaStarScream]

Hello;

I want to run a bitcoin node, but i'm concerned on legal issues. For example if a drug dealer makes a transaction on bitcoin, and busted. Let's say transaction used my node, will it make me a trouble?

Thank you!

Everyone is free to setup a full node and no I doubt that you will get into trouble , otherwise that would be the case for mining farms as well , because without them the transactions that involves drugs and weapons or anything else... won't get confirmed.

[achow101]

A transaction cannot "use your node". The way that Bitcoin works is that transactions and blocks are broadcast in a flood, i.e. every single node will receive all transactions and blocks and then relay them to all of the nodes that it is connected to. There is no way to determine what nodes the transaction has already passed through nor is there a way to determine what node the transaction originated from. There is no concern here.

[maku]

Running a node is not problematic at all. You don't have to dedicate resources or sacrifice your machine processing power to run a node. It is also safe no matter what transaction bitcoin network is processing.

If bitcoin it legal (i.e. not banned openly) in your country and you are using your private owned machine to run a node, there is zero legal problems you may encounter.

Be wary about running a node at your workplace - it is usually undesired, unless you are confident enough you can get away with this.

[European Central Bank]

all you're doing is operating software. it's the person abusing that software's utility who's the one who'll get nailed legally.

[darkangel11]

Running a node is completely legal and you can't be charged, no matter what happens in the network, because you have no control over it. The software is legal and law doesn't work backwards, so even if it somehow became illegal in the following years, they still won't be able to come after you for running it in the past.

[pawel7777]

Short answer - no, you won't get in trouble.

But technically speaking, it's always down to the current interpretation of the law and there's no 100% accurate answer. If the certain government wasn't very keen on Bitcoin, they could declare that the same rules should apply to nodes/miners as there are for file-sharing sites/web hosting services/ISPs, so basically not holding them responsible for propagating illegal content, but only as long as those services are active in preventing such content, to the best of their abilities (i.e. YouTube removing copyright-infringing vids, ISPs blocking pirate sites etc).

So it would be theoretically possible for the authorities to go hard on nodes/miners, but realistically - if they haven't done it by now, then it's unlikely they'll ever do.