[tromp]

> cryptocurrency theft is a crime

If you know the private key, then you own the coins.

At least that's the whole basis that crypto currency is founded on...

[xorvoid]

Except most legal systems don’t see it that way. When you say this, they hear “if you have a copy of the key to a house/car/etc, then you also own it”. Cryptocurrency theft is a crime by the basic definitions of the legal system.

[bagels]

That is not how the law works. It's equivalent to knowing your bank account number and routing number and making an unauthorized transaction.

[remram]

That's just not how keys work. If someone finds the key to my house and uses it to open the door and take something, it's still theft.