Does the FBI even consider bitcoin as something that actually has any value that requires investigating an accusation of theft?
ISTR that both the US Justice Department and at least one state government in the US has initiated prosecution based on the fact that Bitcoin is a thing with value, so probably.
I would think they were more interested in the products being sold as compared to the made-up currency that was being used to purchase said products.
I'm not talking about the SR related prosecutions, I'm talking about, among others, the ponzi scheme prosecution against Bitcoin Savings & Trust, where bitcoins were invested for promised returns in bitcoins in a ponzi scheme. (Though I misrecalled, and this prosecution was a civil prosecution by the SEC not the Justice Department; still, its a pretty strong indicator that the US federal government recognizes bitcoins as thing of value when it comes to the law regarding such things.)
That makes me wonder if, in that case, if the SEC would have to recognize some form of value to the bitcoins lost or is it enough that the victim feels there was value to the bitcoins lost.
Just because the Feds may not recognize any value of an object you possess doesn't mean that another can simple take it on a whim.
Things like bitcoin sure make for interesting legal debates.
Sure, I mean the prices were listed by Mt Gox. No one involved in the transactions were claiming that the BTC were of no value. It's just more of a CIA thing :)
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Does the FBI even consider bitcoin as something that actually has any value that requires investigating an accusation of theft?
ISTR that both the US Justice Department and at least one state government in the US has initiated prosecution based on the fact that Bitcoin is a thing with value, so probably.
I would think they were more interested in the products being sold as compared to the made-up currency that was being used to purchase said products.
But I haven't been following that case so I have to admit I have outdated info on that one.
I'm not talking about the SR related prosecutions, I'm talking about, among others, the ponzi scheme prosecution against Bitcoin Savings & Trust, where bitcoins were invested for promised returns in bitcoins in a ponzi scheme. (Though I misrecalled, and this prosecution was a civil prosecution by the SEC not the Justice Department; still, its a pretty strong indicator that the US federal government recognizes bitcoins as thing of value when it comes to the law regarding such things.)
That makes me wonder if, in that case, if the SEC would have to recognize some form of value to the bitcoins lost or is it enough that the victim feels there was value to the bitcoins lost.
Just because the Feds may not recognize any value of an object you possess doesn't mean that another can simple take it on a whim.
Things like bitcoin sure make for interesting legal debates.
Sure, I mean the prices were listed by Mt Gox. No one involved in the transactions were claiming that the BTC were of no value. It's just more of a CIA thing :)