The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has definitively recognized cryptocurrency as an object of theft: a new precedent for law enforcement.
On June 16, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation unanimously approved key amendments to a 2002 ruling regulating judicial practice in cases of theft, robbery, and assault. From now on, the list of items subject to theft officially includes digital rubles, digital rights, and digital currency. This decision finally establishes cryptocurrency as a full-fledged object of criminal law protection, on par with traditional assets.
Special attention in the document is given to the moment of completion of theft of non-cash funds. The Supreme Court clearly defined: a crime is considered completed not from the moment of taking possession of the assets, but from the moment the money is actually debited from the victim's account. This clarification is critically important for qualifying cybercrimes, where the time gap between the action and the result can be minimal.
When qualifying thefts from bank accounts or electronic funds, courts are now required to recognize exclusively non-cash funds in accounts or electronic money as the object of the crime. If funds from one victim are stolen through several successive debits but are united by a single intent, such actions must be considered as one continuing crime. This significantly simplifies law enforcement in cases of multi-episode thefts.
Statistics speak for themselves: annually in Russia, more than 26,000 people are convicted for theft from a bank account or involving electronic funds. The new ruling of the Supreme Court not only expands the legal framework for combating digital crimes but also creates a precedent for stricter qualification of actions by criminals using cryptocurrency.
Let me remind you that this is not the first step by the Supreme Court in regulating cryptocurrencies. In June 2023, it recognized the conversion of bitcoins into rubles as money laundering, and in May 2024, it mandated checking the ownership of crypto wallets when considering cases. The consistency of these decisions indicates a systematic approach by the Russian judiciary to integrating digital assets into the existing legal reality.
My expert assessment: This decision finally erases the legal gray area for cryptocurrencies in Russia. Now, owners of digital assets can count on criminal law protection, but criminals also receive clear boundaries of liability. The market must adapt to the new realities: I expect an increase in the number of crypto theft cases and a tightening of practice regarding them.