<p>I think the most up-to-date list is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_Bitcoins_by_country" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>. If you want more countries and more recent news, I think you have to search for each country individually. For example, in the Netherlands it is declared by a judge as NOT money, but has the same status as gold and silver. This is the translated <a href="https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&amp;tl=en&amp;js=y&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fuitspraken.rechtspraak.nl%2Finziendocument%3Fid%3DECLI%3ANL%3ARBOVE%3A2014%3A2667&amp;edit-text=&amp;act=url" rel="nofollow">source</a> from google.translate. If you are dutch and want to read it, <a href="http://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI%3aNL%3aRBOVE:2014:2667" rel="nofollow">this</a> is the link to the original document.</p>

<p>The legal consequences differ from country to country, and I will not be surprised if it changes over time. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-21T18:08:50.707Z
2014-05-21T18:08:50.707Z
Mathias711
<p>To follow up on Mathias's answer (because I dont have enough rep to add a comment to it), and to address OP's question about going to prison. Just because Bitcoin isnt considered to be money or currency by a state doesn't mean it is quasi-legal to steal it. States will generally still consider it to be property even if it isnt money/currency, which would still be illegal to steal.</p>

<p>And to address Karpeles/Mt. Gox, he isnt in jail because there isnt any hard evidence that he stole it. Being a incompetent businessman and bankrupting a company <em>generally</em> isnt illegal. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-21T19:58:42.897Z
2014-05-21T20:06:11.560Z
2014-05-21T20:06:11.560Z
Matt
<p>I am thinking where to find list what countries refuse or accept bitcoin as money?</p>

<p>I read Denmark doesn't make tax for BTC because it is not accepted by the state as money. it has and legal consequences, if exchanger disappear with bitcoins, he will not go to the prison because he didn't steal money. as I see, mtgox took money, 100M bucks, and they are not in the prison. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-21T22:15:04.977Z
We literally use this exact question as an example, in multiple places on the site, of a question that is too broad. We appreciate your interest in both Bitcoin and StackExchange but would kindly ask that you brush up on our rules a bit.
David Perry
<legal>
what countries accept and refuse BTC as money?
basicquestion
# what countries accept and refuse BTC as money?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-21)

I am thinking where to find list what countries refuse or accept bitcoin as money?

I read Denmark doesn't make tax for BTC because it is not accepted by the state as money. it has and legal consequences, if exchanger disappear with bitcoins, he will not go to the prison because he didn't steal money. as I see, mtgox took money, 100M bucks, and they are not in the prison.

**Tags:** legal

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: We literally use this exact question as an example, in multiple places on the site, of a question that is too broad. We appreciate your interest in both Bitcoin and StackExchange but would kindly ask that you brush up on our rules a bit.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-05-21. Score: 1

I think the most up-to-date list is from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_Bitcoins_by_country). If you want more countries and more recent news, I think you have to search for each country individually. For example, in the Netherlands it is declared by a judge as NOT money, but has the same status as gold and silver. This is the translated [source](https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fuitspraken.rechtspraak.nl%2Finziendocument%3Fid%3DECLI%3ANL%3ARBOVE%3A2014%3A2667&edit-text=&act=url) from google.translate. If you are dutch and want to read it, [this](http://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI%3aNL%3aRBOVE:2014:2667) is the link to the original document.

The legal consequences differ from country to country, and I will not be surprised if it changes over time.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-05-21. Score: 1

To follow up on Mathias's answer (because I dont have enough rep to add a comment to it), and to address OP's question about going to prison. Just because Bitcoin isnt considered to be money or currency by a state doesn't mean it is quasi-legal to steal it. States will generally still consider it to be property even if it isnt money/currency, which would still be illegal to steal.

And to address Karpeles/Mt. Gox, he isnt in jail because there isnt any hard evidence that he stole it. Being a incompetent businessman and bankrupting a company *generally* isnt illegal.


---

