<p>Perhaps the following resources will be of interest to you.  I have co-authored Parts I and II of a series about Bitcoin and the recent legal developments that pertain to it. </p>

<p>William B. Fleming and Joseph Evans, <em>Bitcoiners in the Courtroom Part I: Government Oversight</em>, Ford. Corp. L. Forum (Aug. 20, 2013).</p>

<p>TXT: <a href="http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/08/20/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-i-government-oversight/" rel="nofollow">http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/08/20/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-i-government-oversight/</a></p>

<p>PDF: <a href="http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/GSF-Bitcoin-Part-1-Government.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/GSF-Bitcoin-Part-1-Government.pdf</a></p>

<p>William B. Fleming and Joseph Evans, <em>Bitcoiners in the Courtroom Part II: Civil Litigation and Developments</em>, Ford. Corp. L. Forum (Sept. 23, 2013). </p>

<p>TXT: <a href="http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/09/23/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-ii-civil-litigation-and-developments/" rel="nofollow">http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/09/23/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-ii-civil-litigation-and-developments/</a></p>

<p>PDF: <a href="http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/Bitcoiners-in-the-Courtroom-Part-2.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/Bitcoiners-in-the-Courtroom-Part-2.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-26T15:33:00.483Z
2013-09-26T15:33:00.483Z
Joseph Evans
<p>There have been plenty of dollars spent on lawyers by Mt. Gox, BitInstant and others, but for specific legal issues.</p>

<p>For instance, a decision after Mt. Gox sued its bank in France:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There is the CryptoCurrency Legal Advocacy Group:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group">http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theclag.org">http://www.theclag.org</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There is an argument that Bitcoin isn't a security (in the U.S.):</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law">http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea">http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Is Bitcoin a commodity then? </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities">http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Other links:</p>

<p>Ruben Grinberg's paper:
Bitcoin: An Innovative Alternative Digital Currency</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857">http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Real legal issues with virtual currencies:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html">http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Quora: Is Bitcoin Legal?</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal">http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There are even lawyers who accept bitcoin:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services">http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0">http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0</a></li>
</ul>

<p>But that's about the extent of it, thus far -- at least what's publicly known.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T05:20:57.217Z
2012-05-22T05:20:57.217Z
Stephen Gornick
<p>Have there been any articles or presentations about Bitcoins in any influential or respected law-related websites or perhaps interviews with notable lawyers or the like?</p>

<legal><news-coverage>
How do lawyers view Bitcoin?
ThePiachu
# How do lawyers view Bitcoin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-21)

Have there been any articles or presentations about Bitcoins in any influential or respected law-related websites or perhaps interviews with notable lawyers or the like?

**Tags:** legal, news-coverage


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-05-22. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

There have been plenty of dollars spent on lawyers by Mt. Gox, BitInstant and others, but for specific legal issues.

For instance, a decision after Mt. Gox sued its bank in France:

* <https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0>

There is the CryptoCurrency Legal Advocacy Group:

* <http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group>
* <http://www.theclag.org>

There is an argument that Bitcoin isn't a security (in the U.S.):

* <http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law>
* <http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea>

Is Bitcoin a commodity then?

* <http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities>

Other links:

Ruben Grinberg's paper:
Bitcoin: An Innovative Alternative Digital Currency

* <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857>

Real legal issues with virtual currencies:

* <http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html>

Quora: Is Bitcoin Legal?

* <http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal>

There are even lawyers who accept bitcoin:

* <http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services>
* <http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0>

But that's about the extent of it, thus far -- at least what's publicly known.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-09-26. Score: 0

Perhaps the following resources will be of interest to you. I have co-authored Parts I and II of a series about Bitcoin and the recent legal developments that pertain to it.

William B. Fleming and username_1, *Bitcoiners in the Courtroom Part I: Government Oversight*, Ford. Corp. L. Forum (Aug. 20, 2013).

TXT: <http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/08/20/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-i-government-oversight/>

PDF: <http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/GSF-Bitcoin-Part-1-Government.pdf>

William B. Fleming and username_1, *Bitcoiners in the Courtroom Part II: Civil Litigation and Developments*, Ford. Corp. L. Forum (Sept. 23, 2013).

TXT: <http://fordhamcorporatecenter.org/2013/09/23/bitcoiners-in-the-court-room-part-ii-civil-litigation-and-developments/>

PDF: <http://www.gagespencer.com/firm-news/Bitcoiners-in-the-Courtroom-Part-2.pdf>


---

