Odaily Planet Daily News: Recently, the Russian Constitutional Court ruled that crypto assets fall within the scope of property protected by property rights. This ruling is considered to have a profound impact on civil disputes and criminal cases involving crypto assets in the future.
Ignat Likhunov, head of the Russian law firm Cartesius, stated that the ruling provides clear legal grounds for law enforcement agencies and courts in handling issues related to digital assets that are stolen or subject to disputes, and it establishes an important precedent. The ruling also clarifies that as long as the cryptocurrency assets are lawfully obtained, their property rights should be protected by the judiciary, even if they have not been reported to tax authorities.
This case originated from a civil lawsuit filed by Moscow resident Dmitry Timchenko. In 2023, Timchenko lent 1,000 USDT to another party, but the borrower failed to repay as agreed. Previously, a lower court dismissed his claim, citing that "stablecoins fall outside the scope of legislation governing digital financial assets." However, the Constitutional Court pointed out that failure to report crypto assets does not automatically negate property rights, and such reporting obligations apply only to miners.
This ruling comes as Russia is advancing a new round of cryptocurrency regulatory legislation. Analysts believe that this judgment provides clearer legal protection for cryptocurrency asset holders before the legislation is finalized. (DL News)