1. ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Is Bitcoin Legal In India?

Written by Posted on Less than 0 min read

The Bitcoin saga of India has finally reached a stage where it is pertinent to answer a very crucial question. The question asks is Bitcoin legal in India? Bitcoins emerged as a preferentialinvestment in India in the year 2013. However, the legality of Bitcoins in India was always in doubts.

This is more so when, the best techno legal firm in Asia, threw its weight against the open and unregulated use of Bitcoins in India. The cyber law trends of India 2013 by ICT law firm Perry4Law has cautioned (PDF) that Bitcoins websites may further face legal actions if they fail to comply with Indian laws in the year 2014.

To say the minimum Bitcoins are governed by many laws that are indirectly applicable to its dealings and transactions in India. For instance, the IT Act 2000 prescribes cyber law due diligence in India and the Internet intermediary liability in India. These cyber laws due diligence and Internet Intermediary requirements squarely apply to use of Bitcoins in India. Further, money laundering, foreign exchange and security dealing laws also apply to Bitcoins dealings and trading in India.

For too long regulatory authorities of India, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), remained moot spectators in the hope that Bitcoins would themselves provide a solution to their regulatory problems. However, this myth of RBI immediately became apparent the moment regulation of Bitcoins in India was demanded due to growing misuse of Bitcoins for illegal activities.

As the pressure mounted, the RBI cautioned users of virtual currencies against various risks including legal risks. Soon after the cautious advisory, the enforcement directorate (ED) swung into action and raided two Bitcoins websites and their offices. ED believes that Bitcoins money can be used for hawala transactions and funding terror operations and this seems to be a legally plausible explanation as well.

As on date the Bitcoins websites in India are under regulatory scanner and are vulnerable to all sorts of legal actions. In fact, Seven Digital Cash LLP is already facing legal risks for dealing in Bitcoins in India.

The Bitcoin entrepreneurs may feel that Bitcoins dealings in India are not illegal but this does not mean that they are legal as well. According to Perry4Law what it means is that till the position is cleared by clear cut regulations and norms, Bitcoin dealings would be regulated by existing laws and regulations. Thus, in their own interest, Bitcoin entrepreneurs must comply with existing laws. Otherwise they may be prosecuted by Indian authorities.

written by Ram Kaushik, who is an active author that often writes on GroundReport. See more.
Member since
This published content was successfully submitted to Empirics Asia and written by individuals, authors or contributors based on their multidisciplinary backgrounds, experiences, achievements and various expertise. The author has decided to keep their identity anonymous. The content represents their opinion and Empirics does not hold any responsibility over its veracity. If you have any questions, thoughts or feedback about the content, please contact us. To submit your own knowledge onto Empirics, please create an authors account with us or directly email your content to [email protected]

Related articles

Next

Recently Published

Humility Is The Secret To Leadership?

Key Takeaway: A study has found that humble leaders can become more promotable by growing others through a “humility route”. Human capital theory suggests that employees’ value can be enhanced by investing in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Humble leaders focus on the learning and growth of their followers, creating human capital value for themselves. […]
Written by

Top Picks

Discovering Your Money Attachment Style

Key Takeaway: The current economic climate is particularly concerning for young people, who are often financially worse off than their parents. To overcome this, it is important to understand one’s financial attachment style, which can be secure, anxious, or avoidant. Attachment theory, influenced by childhood experiences and education, can help shape one’s relationship with money. […]
Written by

The Proven 5 Steps To Psychological Wellness

Key Takeaway: Wellness culture, which claims to provide happiness and meaning, has been criticized for its superficial focus on superficial aspects like candles and juice cleanses. Psychological research suggests that long-term wellbeing comes from a committed pursuit of both pleasure and meaning. Martin Seligman’s Perma model, which breaks wellbeing into five pillars: positive emotions, engagement, […]
Written by

When Will Quantum Computers Actually Become Practical?

Key Takeaway: Quantum computing, which uses entanglement to represent information, has the potential to revolutionize everyday life. However, the development of quantum computers has been slow due to the need to demonstrate an advantage over classical computers. Only a few notable quantum algorithms have been developed, such as the BB84 protocol and Shor’s algorithm, which […]
Written by

Predicting China’s Economy In 2024

Key Takeaway: China’s leaders have declared a GDP growth target of 5% in 2024, despite facing economic problems and a property crisis. The country’s rapid economic growth has been attributed to market incentives, cheap labor, infrastructure investment, exports, and foreign direct investment. However, none of these drivers are working effectively. The government’s determination to deflate […]
Written by

The Future Of Human Computing

Key Takeaway: Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, aims to implant a brain-computer interface (BCI) in people’s brains, allowing them to control computers or phones by thought alone. This technology holds the promise of alleviating human suffering and allowing people with disabilities to regain lost capacities. However, the long-term aspirations of Neuralink include the ability to […]
Written by

Trending

How China Is Transforming Its Economy Through Learning

I highly recommend reading the McKinsey Global Institute’s new report, “Reskilling China: Transforming The World’s Largest Workforce Into Lifelong Learners”, which focuses on the country’s biggest employment challenge, re-training its workforce and the adoption of practices such as lifelong learning to address the growing digital transformation of its productive fabric. How to transform the country […]
Written by

Join our Newsletter

Get our monthly recap with the latest news, articles and resources.

Login

Welcome to Empirics
We are glad you have decided to join our mission of gathering the collective knowledge of Asia!
Join Empirics