Bitcoin: A Comparative Study of Cryptocurrency Legality in America and Indonesia

Abstract

Bitcoin is widely used and accepted by many countries. The features that are being offered and the positive uprising of its price have made made it popular among its users and investors. The value of Bitcoin started from less than a dollar in 2009 and raking up to over two thousand dollar within 2017. In Indonesia, Bitcoin became popular in 2013; a group of people began to form a community and online forum where people with similar interest can gather and conduct exchange of Bitcoin. In early 2014, the community had formed the first professional Bitcoin brokerage service in Indonesia which also known as bitcoin.co.id and over fifty thousand members were registered. With the daily transaction valuing over five hundred million Rupiah, bitcoin.co.id has made its name on South East Asia. However, despite the positive response in Indonesia, the lack of legal framework regulating cryptocurrencyand the risk of misusing it to fund illicit activity has become a national concern. This paper provides an analysis of legal problems that are being encountered by Indonesia government and thorough comparison with America’s laws on cryptocurrency. By stipulating a law on cryptocurrency, Indonesia’s government would have show support for cryptocurrency in Indonesia through reducing the volatility risk and the possible illicit activities derived from the usage of cryptocurrency.