The Cryptocurrency Cases included in the typical case Library of China

Author: Lawyer Liu Yang

Translation: WuBlockchain

On February 27, 2023, the Supreme People’s Court held a press conference to announce the official launch and public opening of the People’s Court Case Database. The public can access the database by registering and logging in. The website for the People’s Court Case Database is: www.rmfyalk.court.gov.cn, and it can also be accessed directly by clicking on the “People’s Court Case Database” icon from the homepage of the Supreme People’s Court official website.

As of now, the People’s Court Case Database has included a total of 3,711 cases. Attorney Liu Yang has searched, compiled, and summarized all cases related to virtual digital currencies, and has organized links to specific cases for easy reference:

I. Search for “Tether” (including USDT), resulted in 3 cases, detailed as follows:

1. Feng’s Fraud Case: The Criminal Nature of Virtual Currency

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=WQsjNG%252F5Geoq1Wt7%252FtWZ6S59LLw7SMflVi5wxkebRRE%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%B3%B0%E8%BE%BE%E5%B8%81

2. Chen’s Fraud Case: The Property Nature of Virtual Currency in Criminal Law

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=peRCaVCG%252BSZAwFJHHuHC59CEekoNVstij%252Bv7KMawsLg%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%B3%B0%E8%BE%BE%E5%B8%81

3. Chen’s Case on Fundraising Fraud and Illegal Absorption of Public Deposits: Determination of the Purpose of Illegal Possession in Fundraising Fraud Crime

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=78Ha9RqyD%252FATlefPWtI4ia0ci1mwfKjo5LLMIWkz3%252Bo%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%B3%B0%E8%BE%BE%E5%B8%81

II. Search for “Bitcoin”, resulted in 7 cases, with 5 new cases emerging, detailed as follows:

1. Zhang’s Robbery Case: Forcing the victim to purchase Bitcoin, then robbing and reselling it for cash

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=IperRGavUvssdbbK57ghjBtRXdvlbTi2nTPv0vF2GnM%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%AF%94%E7%89%B9%E5%B8%81

2. A Shanghai Company vs. A Beijing Computing Technology Company Contract Dispute: Judicial recognition of the effectiveness of Bitcoin “mining”

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=Tes%252BImj9P4TrbUyt6%252BlFGA8poNRyuZBddO6ZB%252BohLTI%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%AF%94%E7%89%B9%E5%B8%81

3. Guiding Case №199: Gao Zheyu vs. Shenzhen Yunsi Road Innovation Development Fund Enterprise, Li Bin Application for Revocation of Arbitration Award

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=6tHz24AAKwT%252F9glY7I9dr7njO5KuoN3SBoIcBBZVryw%253D&lib=zdx&qw=%E6%AF%94%E7%89%B9%E5%B8%81

4. Chen’s Case on Drug Smuggling and Illegal Possession: Smuggling of new psychoactive substances controlled by the state constitutes the crime of drug smuggling

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=R5G%252BvRNManXoHqzBxA60bXTH%252Fh0IpWcysbK8yz7Rk%252BM%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%AF%94%E7%89%B9%E5%B8%81

5. Wang’s Contract Dispute Case against Chen: The effectiveness and legal consequences of the “mining machine” sales contract

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=X0UcRyr0RYqKb6hOnrld6%252Bcxx73EJ0DPwTK%252FqFaaW6U%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E6%AF%94%E7%89%B9%E5%B8%81

III. Searching for “Ethereum” resulted in only 1 case, with no new cases emerging.

IV. Searching for “virtual currency” yielded 15 cases, with 9 new cases emerging, detailed as follows:

1. Luo’s case against Jiangxi Province Ji’an County Development and Reform Commission, Ji’an County People’s Government for ordering correction, administrative review, and normative document review: Judicial review of administrative actions ordering individual rectification of virtual currency “mining”.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=94I8PTvHqemy7zgn3ZIq5JFwA8tLNr1cxQI%252FT0I%252FpC8%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

2. Ding’s case of illegal absorption of public deposits: Priority restitution to victims under concurrent criminal acts based on the same facts.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=94I8PTvHqemy7zgn3ZIq5JFwA8tLNr1cxQI%252FT0I%252FpC8%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

3. Chen and others’ case of concealing and disguising proceeds of crime: Judicial determination of “knowing” in network payment settlement type assistance actions.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=ghLj5wjJyY8oKtulkH%252BwGZCRsOVlLCG04CGwLV9YPZw%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

4. A Shanghai company’s lawsuit against a Beijing computing technology company for entrusted contract dispute: Judicial recognition of the effectiveness of Bitcoin “mining”.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=Tes%252BImj9P4TrbUyt6%252BlFGAx5hC8Clmt9vzJky13Veog%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

5. Beijing Technology Co., Ltd., Huang’s copyright infringement case: Criminal determination of copying and distributing copyrighted computer software for profit without the copyright owner’s permission.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=3lxZiBRPxY%252BPYh9fBqjhfZ34HWlUGtZHJkH8xE5zyOg%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

6. Luo’s case of organizing and leading pyramid selling activities: The defendant’s investment losses in organizing and leading pyramid selling activities do not affect the determination of the nature of the act.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=iPmAGOsfHJ%252BkQNhqOn6Jq3dN4kgbsT4efjNHSHRydsw%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

7. Zheng, Peng, and Yang’s case of opening a gambling den: Calculation of the amount of gambling funds in online gambling.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=8szTyn2Dr3XK5s2gcyifbLwjntfDWPbQ7yYH3Pr50%252BA%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

8. Wang and others’ case of opening a gambling den.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=8xyvnhtkGlvniQac3CIpjd6Ba2Gk6DD90T6AW52OC%252BU%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

9. Han’s case of smuggling, selling, transporting drugs, rape, and teaching methods of committing crimes, Zhang’s case of smuggling drugs, rape: of little significance.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=vxD1NctpOFIZp9B9jS%252BWn0R%252Fqoh2J%252F6Pv1Tr1TQWz4U%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81

V. Searching for “cryptocurrency” resulted in 8 cases, with 1 new case detailed as follows:

1. Weng’s case of opening a gambling den: Determination of “indirectly profiting” behavior in operating a gambling den using an online chess and card platform.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=JhXmrSocfsGm54zaxzG55kPPvfe9%252FyxBHBMiquBGPlU%253D&lib=ck&qw=%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E5%B8%81

VI. Searching for “NFT” (including digital collectibles) yielded 1 case, detailed as follows:

1. A case of infringement of the right to disseminate works on the internet by a Shenzhen Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd. against a Hangzhou Technology Co., Ltd.: Determination of the liability of NFT digital works transaction network service providers.

https://rmfyalk.court.gov.cn/dist/view/content.html?id=XO5boHqsoW%252FR8lIrH84jw32kZRERQTSibFwBWPcqeHE%253D&lib=ck&qw=nft

Read the original text