Russian Constitutional Court rules: Crypto assets are protected by property rights, and failure to report does not affect judicial remedies

【Crypto World】The Russian Constitutional Court recently made an important ruling—cryptographic assets are officially recognized as property protected by property rights. This decision has attracted attention in the crypto industry because it addresses a core issue: whether digital assets are legally considered your property.

What exactly happened? Moscow resident Dmitry Timchenko lent someone 1,000 USDT in 2023, but the other party has not repaid. Timchenko wanted to recover the money through legal means, but the lower court dismissed his lawsuit, with a rather absurd reason—claiming that stablecoins are not within the legal protection scope of digital financial assets.

The Constitutional Court overturned this ruling. The court pointed out: First, crypto assets are property and enjoy property rights protection; second, failing to declare a certain crypto asset to tax authorities does not constitute a reason to deny its property rights. The court also clarified that the declaration obligation applies only to miners; ordinary holders are not subject to this requirement.

This ruling has significant practical implications. It provides law enforcement agencies and courts with a clear legal basis, establishing a precedent for handling digital assets in cases of theft or disputes. In other words, if your crypto assets are stolen or owed, the court now has legal grounds to help you defend your rights—as long as these assets are obtained legally.

The timing is also quite deliberate. Russia is pushing forward with a new round of crypto regulation legislation, and this judicial decision is akin to giving crypto asset holders a reassurance pill before the new law is enacted.