Crypto news

Russia's highest judicial authority has taken a fundamental step towards the digital economy. The Supreme Court has officially included the digital ruble, cryptocurrency, and digital rights in the list of objects that can be subject to theft. The corresponding clarifications were enshrined in an updated resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, dedicated to criminal cases of theft, robbery, and assault. The document was adopted at a special session chaired by Igor Krasnov.

For the entire domestic cryptocurrency industry, this clarification is of colossal importance. Legally, it effectively establishes that digital assets now receive full criminal law protection on par with traditional material forms of property. The market has finally received a clear signal: digital property is not a virtual abstraction, but a real value protected by law.

What exactly is now protected?

The Supreme Court detailed the list of valuables that can be unlawfully seized. Thus, the updated list includes:

• physical objects;
• cash funds;
• documentary securities;
• other movable and immovable property.

To the latter category, the court directly attributed non-cash funds, including digital rubles, uncertificated securities, digital rights, and digital currency. Thanks to this decision, the digital ruble, which represents the third form of the national currency from the Bank of Russia, is now unequivocally considered a legitimate object for qualifying theft. A similar legal approach now applies to cryptocurrency and any digital rights.

The moment of the crime and legal logic

Separately, in its resolution, the Supreme Court clarified the exact timing. A criminal offense is considered completed directly from the moment the assets are debited from the victim's account. This is because it is then that the perpetrator actually gains the real opportunity to dispose of the stolen property.

Furthermore, the highest judicial body described in detail the legal situation with several consecutive debits. For example, if the savings of one victim are withdrawn in parts, in several transactions, but all the criminal's actions are united by a single intent, the act is qualified as one continuing crime, rather than a series of separate criminal episodes.

According to official judicial statistics, more than 26,000 people are consistently convicted annually in Russia for theft from bank accounts or regarding electronic funds. Now, digital assets will be added to this statistic, which will undoubtedly require additional qualifications from law enforcement officials.

Expert commentary: This decision is a landmark precedent for the entire market. It not only protects holders of digital rubles and cryptocurrencies but also creates a clear legal framework for combating digital theft. However, the question of cross-border transactions remains open: how will the mechanism work if assets have been withdrawn to foreign exchanges? I believe this is only the first step, and in the near future we can expect clarifications regarding international cooperation in the search for and return of digital property.