The Shanghai High People’s Court has declared that bitcoin is a virtual asset protected by Chinese law.
The declaration contradicts the ban on cryptocurrency trading in China.
According to the court’s official Wechat channel, the People’s Court has formed a unified opinion on the legal position of bitcoin, and identified it as a virtual property.
The court further explained that bitcoin “has a certain economic value and conforms to the property’s attributes, the legal rules of property rights are applied for protection.”
The court’s statement refers to a case involving Mr. Cheng Mou who filed a lawsuit with the Shanghai Baoshan District People’s Court on Oct. 10, 2020, demanding that Mr. Shi Moumou return his one bitcoin.
After the trial, the court ruled on Feb. 23, 2021, that Shi must repay Cheng his BTC within 10 days of the judgment.
