12h ago
🚨 BREAKING: 🇮🇳 Madras High Court Recognizes Crypto as Property under Indian Law.
2/ What happened:
An Indian investor’s XRP holdings (3,532 coins) on WazirX were frozen after a $230M hack in July 2024.
She approached the Madras High Court seeking protection of her assets.
3/ Court’s finding:
The Court ruled that cryptocurrency is “property”
“It is not a tangible property nor a currency. However, it is property capable of being enjoyed and held in trust.”
This is the first formal Indian judicial recognition of crypto as property.
4/ Jurisdiction:
WazirX argued the dispute belonged to Singapore, not India.
The Court disagreed, since:
• The investor funded via an Indian bank (Chennai)
• Accessed the app from India
Hence, Indian courts have jurisdiction under Section 9 of the Arbitration Act.
5/ Crypto & the Law:
The Court noted that under Section 2(47A) of the Income Tax Act; crypto is legally recognized as a Virtual Digital Asset (VDA) capable of being stored, traded, and owned.
7/ On the $230M hack:
The hack involved ERC-20 tokens (Ethereum-based), not XRP.
The Court said WazirX cannot “socialize” losses across unaffected users.
The investor’s XRP must be protected separately.
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