XRP gets legal recognition as 'property'
A High Court in India's interim ruling officially classified cryptocurrencies like XRP as property.
Can you call your digital assets āpropertyā?
For many countries, cryptocurrencies and tokens still occupy a regulatory gray area as governments continue to understand how these assets function. However, some nations have taken decisive steps toward legal clarity by recognizing crypto as property.Ā
Classification of digital assets as "property" strengthens ownership rights and brings them under existing tax frameworks.
In the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats virtual currencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and XRPĀ as property for federal tax purposes, making them subject to capital gains tax when sold, exchanged, or spent.Ā
The United Kingdomās courts have similarly recognized crypto as a form of personal property, allowing for remedies such as injunctions, tracing, and asset recovery in cases of fraud or theft.Ā
Singaporeās High Court has also affirmed that digital assets are āproperty capable of being held on trust,ā granting them protection under civil law.
Now, India has joined these ranks, setting a new precedent in the countryās legal and regulatory landscape.
Court qualifies crypto ownership
In a landmark decision, the Madras High Court, on Oct. 25, ruled that cryptocurrencies such as XRP qualify as āproperty capable of being possessed and held in trust,ā formally recognizing them as a distinct form of property under Indian law.Ā
XRP is a cryptocurrency used primarily for fast and low-cost cross-border payments. It runs on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ā an open-source, decentralized blockchain network developed by Ripple Labs Inc., a fintech company based in San Francisco.
The decision arose from a petition filed by Rhutikumari, a WazirX user whose 3,532.30 XRP, worth approximately $9,400, had been frozen following the exchangeās July 2024 hack.
WazirX is one of Indiaās largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Founded in 2018 by Nischal Shetty, Sameer Mhatre, and Siddharth Menon, the platform allows users to convert Indian rupee (INR)Ā to crypto.
In July 2024, a hackĀ into the exchangeĀ drained around $235 million in assets. The crypto exchange introduced aĀ āsocialization of lossesā plan to spread the financial damage across all user accounts.Ā
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