Re:For Sale: 29,656.51306529 Bitcoins
by Anderkent on Friday June 13, 2014 @09:10AM
(#7888600)
Is having bitcoin on a website illegal, even if you don't buy anything?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:For Sale: 29,656.51306529 Bitcoins
by owenmarshall on Friday June 13, 2014 @09:46AM
(#7888787)
The question is irrelevant.
The moment I transfer a bitcoin to Silk Road, it's no longer my bitcoin. It's theirs. I've exchanged it for a promise from Silk Road to pass on the bitcoin to someone else or return it to me when I ask.
The government never seized my bitcoin. They seized Silk Road's bitcoin. This means Silk Road has more liabilities than assets. And since Silk Road hasn't given me a promissory note in exchange for my bitcoin, I'm an unsecured general creditor - and unsecured general creditors cannot establish standing to recover seized assets.
Good point, and I didn't think of that.