Friday, August 14, 2026
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OPINION | Lost, Stolen, Or Frozen Crypto? Indian Law Has More Options Than You Think


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Quick
Read

Key
poi ts
ge e ated
by
AI,
ve ified
by
ews oom

  • C ypto
    i vesto s
    must
    u de sta d
    loss
    type
    befo e
    seeki g
    legal
    ecou se.
  • Cou ts
    offe
    va ied
    emedies,
    p ese vi g
    c ypto
    assets
    du i g
    disputes.
  • Repo t
    cybe
    f aud;
    PMLA
    facilitates
    ecove y
    of
    c ime
    p oceeds.

A
c ypto
loss
a ely
fits
o e
catego y.
It
may
a ise
f om
f aud,
failed
custody
o
i solve cy.
A
FIR
ca
begi
the
sea ch
fo
a
offe de ,
but
it
does
ot
decide
who
ow s
assets
i
a
disputed
wallet.
A
co sume
commissio
ca
compe sate
a
failu e
of
se vice,
but
ot
the
o di a y
fall
i
a
toke & squo;s
p ice.
Befo e
app oachi g
a
autho ity,
the
i vesto
must
u de sta d
the
atu e
of
the
loss.

Rece t
cases
show
why
choosi g
the
ight
fo um
matte s.
I
Ra a
Ha da
v.
BitBNSI te et,
the
Delhi
High
Cou t
held
that
egulatio
of
VDA
activity
did
ot
tu
a
p ivate
excha ge
i to
a
i st ume t
of
the
State.
A
A ticle
226
w it
was
ot
the
a swe
to
a
comme cial
dispute.
C imi al
o
civil
emedies
had
to
be
pu sued.

That
uli g
does
ot
equi e
waiti g
fo
a
fi al
outcome.
Whe e
c ypto
may
be
moved,
p ese vatio
comes
fi st.
Sectio s
9
a d
17
of
the
A bit atio
a d
Co ciliatio
Act,
1996,
pe mit
p ese vatio
o
secu ity.
I
Rhutikuma i
v.
Za maiLabs,
the
Mad as
High
Cou t
ecog ised
c ypto
as
p ope ty.
It
o de ed
a
Rs
9.56
lakh
ba k
gua a tee
o
equivale t
esc ow
du i g
a bit atio .
The
o de
p ese ved
value
without
dete mi i g
liability.


ALSO
READ:

C ypto
Ma ket
Has
Cha ged.
I vesto s
Need
To
Cha ge
Too

Whe
loss
a ises
f om
f aud,
the
legal
oute
begi s
befo e
cou t.
Victims
should
call
1930
a d
epo t
th ough
the
Natio al
Cybe c ime
Repo ti g
Po tal.
Sectio
173
of
the
Bha atiya
Naga ik
Su aksha
Sa hita
pe mits
elect o ic
epo ti g
ega dless
of
locatio .
By
Ja ua y
31,
2026,
the
cybe -f aud
epo ti g
system
had
saved
mo e
tha
Rs
8,690
c o e
ac oss
ove
24.65
lakh
complai ts.

These
figu es
cove
cybe c ime
ge e ally,
ot
c ypto
alo e.
I dia
publishes
o
atio al
cou t
of
c ypto
complai ts,
esolutio s
o
ecove ies.
Cheati g
may
att act
Sectio
318
of
the
Bha atiya
Nyaya
Sa hita.
O li e
ide tity
theft
o
pe so atio
may
e gage
Sectio s
66C
a d
66D
of
the
I fo matio
Tech ology
Act.
The
BNS
eve theless
sepa ates
i itial
disho esty
f om
a
p omise
ho estly
made
a d
late
b oke .If
the
ED
attaches
f aud
p oceeds,
the
victim& squo;s
ole
eed
ot
e d
the e.
Sectio
8(8)
of
the
P eve tio
of
Mo ey
Lau de i g
Act
pe mits
the
Special
Cou t
to
esto e
p ope ty
to
a
claima t
with
a
legitimate
i te est
a d
qua tifiable
loss.
Rule
3A
equi es
good
faith
a d
o
i volveme t
i
lau de i g.
PMLA
cha ges
must
also
have
bee
f amed.
Du i g
2024-25,
Rs
15,261
c o e
was
esto ed
to
victims
i
30
PMLA
cases.
The
figu e
is
ot
c ypto-specific,
but
co fi ms
estitutio
is
used.

Not
eve y
loss
begi s
with
theft.
A
ope atio
p omisi g
fixed
etu s
may
fall
u de
the
Ba i g
of
U egulated
Deposit
Schemes
Act.
Sectio s
3
a d
5
p ohibit
u egulated
schemes
a d
deceptive
i duceme t.
The
Act
pe mits
attachme t
a d
asset
dist ibutio .
The
defi itio
of
a
“deposit& dquo;
must
be
satisfied.
A
c ypto
pu chase
does
ot
become
a
deposit
because
its
value
falls.

Disputes
a ise
withi
lawful
platfo ms.
Blocked
withd awals,
u autho ised
t a sactio s
o
eglige t
custody
may
be
deficie t
se vice
u de
Sectio
2(11)
of
the
Co sume
P otectio
Act,
2019.
Sectio
39
pe mits
efu ds
a d
compe satio .
Sectio
35(1)(c)
pe mits
a
ep ese tative
complai t
by
simila ly
affected
co sume s.
Comme cial
t adi g
may
fall
outside
co sume
p otectio .
Ma ket
loss
alo e
is
ot
se vice
deficie cy.

Se vice
failu e
may
become
platfo m
failu e.
I solve cy
the
tu s
compe satio
i to
a
questio
of
ow e ship.
Sectio
36(4)
of
the
I solve cy
a d
Ba k uptcy
Code
excludes
assets
held
i
t ust,
a d
assets
whose
title
was
ot
t a sfe ed,
f om
the
liquidatio
estate.
A
use
who
p oves
be eficial
ow e ship
o
seg egated
custody
may
have
a
p op ieta y
claim.
Pooled
holdi gs
may
leave
o ly
a
u secu ed
mo eta y
claim.

FIU
egist atio
should
ot
be
mistake
fo
i vesto
p otectio .
As
of
Ma ch
9
this
yea ,
54
VDA
se vice
p ovide s
we e
egiste ed
with
FIU-IND.
Regist atio
places
them
withi
the
a ti-mo ey-lau de i g
f amewo k.
It
is
ot
a
gove me t
lice ce,
solve cy
ce tificate
o
compe satio
gua a tee.

Togethe ,
these
p ovisio s
do
ot
fo m
a
dedicated
c ypto
i vesto -p otectio
code.
They
allow
the
law
to
espo d
to
the
w o g
be eath
the
tech ology.
F aud
emai s
f aud
whe
a
toke
is
i volved.
Custody
co ti ues
to
ca y
obligatio s.
P ope ty
does
ot
cease
to
have
a
ow e
because
it
is
eco ded
o
a
blockchai .
I vesto s
must
p ese ve
the
evide ce
co ecti g
those
p i ciples
to
the
asset.
The
soo e
that
co ectio
is
made,
the
g eate
the
cha ce
that
a
legal
ight
ca
p oduce
ecove y.


(The
autho
is
the
CEO
of
Giottus)



Disclaime :

The
opi io s,
beliefs,
a d
views
exp essed
by
the
va ious
autho s
a d
fo um
pa ticipa ts
o
this
website
a e
pe so al
a d
do
ot
eflect
the
opi io s,
beliefs,
a d
views
of
ABP
Netwo k
Pvt.
Ltd.
C ypto
p oducts
a d
NFTs
a e
u egulated
a d
ca
be
highly
isky.
The e
may
be
o
egulato y
ecou se
fo
a y
loss
f om
such
t a sactio s.
C yptocu e cy
is
ot
a
legal
te de
a d
is
subject
to
ma ket
isks.
Reade s
a e
advised
to
seek
expe t
advice
a d
ead
offe
docume t(s)
alo g
with
elated
impo ta t
lite atu e
o
the
subject
ca efully
befo e
maki g
a y
ki d
of
i vestme t
whatsoeve .
C yptocu e cy
ma ket
p edictio s
a e
speculative
a d
a y
i vestme t
made
shall
be
at
the
sole
cost
a d
isk
of
the
eade s.

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