{"id":3410,"date":"2022-08-04T11:09:48","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T11:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=3410"},"modified":"2024-02-27T13:41:29","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T13:41:29","slug":"explorer-le-bitcoin-et-la-juridiction","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/fr\/perspectives\/explorer-le-bitcoin-et-la-juridiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploration de Bitcoin et de la juridiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Les cryptomonnaies \u00e9chappent-elles au champ d'application du droit traditionnel ? Le d\u00e9partement de droit p\u00e9nal examine une affaire intrigante qui a plac\u00e9 les juges face \u00e0 un dilemme lorsqu'elle a \u00e9t\u00e9 port\u00e9e devant la Haute Cour.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On March 25 2022 the High Court passed a judgment which deliberated upon significant questions in relation to jurisdiction and cryptocurrency<\/a> in the case of Tulip Trading Ltd (TTL) v Bitcoin Association for BSV, the original Bitcoin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La plaignante, TTL, est une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 holding du Dr Craig Wright, constitu\u00e9e aux Seychelles. TTL a affirm\u00e9 avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 priv\u00e9e de l'acc\u00e8s \u00e0 son compte Bitcoin \u00e0 la suite d'un piratage de l'ordinateur du Dr Wright, et que des bitcoins d'une valeur de 1,1 million de livres sterling appartenant \u00e0 TTL avaient \u00e9t\u00e9 vol\u00e9s lors de ce piratage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the private<\/a> keys needed to access the account had been stolen and deleted from Dr Wright\u2019s computer. Therefore TTL was unable to access or control the Bitcoin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other cryptocurrency hacks we have seen recently, the Bitcoin in question had not actually been taken from its original localisation<\/a> or transferred elsewhere. However, without the private keys TTL was unable to access it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of this, TTL did not seek remedies<\/a> against the alleged perpetrators of the hack. Instead, they issued proceedings against the 16 core developers (the defendants<\/a>) who controlled the software in respect of \u2018the Networks\u2019 on which the Bitcoin was stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TTL claimed that the defendants owed a fiduciary or tortious duty to assist TTL in regaining control and use of the Bitcoin. If that was not possible, TTL sought equitable compensation or damages if the former remedy<\/a> was not successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key defining issue in this case, was the fact that none of the defendants were based in the jurisdiction of England<\/a> and Wales. Therefore, as opposed to a full trial, the judgement was in fact an interim application specifically related to a number<\/a> of defendants\u2019 challenge<\/a> to the court\u2019s jurisdiction and ability to permit service outside of England and Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order for the defendants to succeed with their jurisdictional<\/a> application, the following requirements<\/a> had to be satisfied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il fallait d\u00e9terminer s'il y avait lieu de juger une affaire grave<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S'il existait des arguments solides permettant de soutenir que l'affaire relevait d'un ou de plusieurs des crit\u00e8res de comp\u00e9tence \u00e9nonc\u00e9s au paragraphe 3.1 de la directive CPR PD 6B ; et<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Que ce soit dans toutes les circonstances :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. L'Angleterre est manifestement ou clairement la juridiction comp\u00e9tente pour conna\u00eetre du litige ; et<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Le tribunal devrait faire usage de son pouvoir d'appr\u00e9ciation pour autoriser la signification des actes de proc\u00e9dure en dehors de son ressort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering this, the court found that TTL had not established a serious issue to be tried on the merits of its claim. Additionally, it held that developers did not owe TTL any fiduciary duties<\/a> for the following reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bitcoin owners could not realistically be described as having entrusted their propri\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a> to a fluctuating, unidentified body of software developers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distinctive characteristic<\/a> of a fiduciary relationship is the obligation of \u2018undivided loyalty\u2019. However, the steps that TTL required the defendants to take \u2013 such as writing and implementing a software \u2018patch\u2019 which would enable TTL to recover the Bitcoin, would only benefit TTL \u2013 rather than the other users of the network. In fact, the court argued that the changes sought by TTL could even be disadvantageous to other users of the network; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les exigences de TTL auraient pu exposer les d\u00e9fendeurs \u00e0 des risques ; par exemple, si les d\u00e9veloppeurs avaient cr\u00e9\u00e9 le correctif logiciel pour TTL, il aurait \u00e9t\u00e9 possible que des pr\u00e9tendants potentiels au Bitcoin puissent faire valoir une revendication l\u00e9gitime \u00e0 l'encontre des d\u00e9fendeurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be deduced from this outcome<\/a> that although this case has left open a narrow potential route to liability and remedy, the judgment could be seen as highlighting the key concerns that tort and common law may be proving themselves incapable of adapting to new technologies and characteristically international\/cross-border business<\/a> et commercial<\/a> structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, while legislation and regulation are the only viable route – any such legislation and regulation must reflect international cooperation. Unless that cooperation is global<\/a>, it has limited chance of being effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cela soul\u00e8ve la question suivante : cela signifie-t-il que le Bitcoin et les autres cryptomonnaies \u00e9chappent au champ d'application du droit traditionnel ?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is currently being unravelled and it va<\/a> be interesting to see how legal developments in this space will progress in the coming years, particularly considering the recent volatility of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which may well leave many investors holding a loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information contact<\/a> Piers Desser on 020 7613 1402 ou\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>courriel<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3411,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3410","insight","type-insight","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t