Update: We have added an explanation of why the state sells Bitcoin in the form of an auction, not in the form of an exchange on a cryptocurrency exchange. We have also added a statement from the Ministry of the Interior.
In the offer of auctions Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) cryptocurrencies first appeared. Starting price for 0,42352938 Bitcoin the state set it at CZK 523,637 with a minimum bid amount of CZK 20,000. The auction will run from April 7 to 8. Cryptocurrencies became state-owned after it was proven to have been obtained through the proceeds of crime.
“This is the first cryptocurrency auction owned by the ÚZSVM, but we do not know whether cryptocurrency auctions have taken place outside the electronic auction system in the past. Offer state property administered by ÚZSVM. For example, the Ministry of Interior operates its Secured Assets Center, “Said the public relations officer of ÚZSVM to Lupa Andrej Bančanský.
But the interior rejects such a possibility. “The Secured Assets Center does not deal with the administration and sale of cryptocurrencies seized in criminal proceedings,” she told Lupa Hana Malá from the Press and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of the Interior.
The state is auctioning cryptocurrencies for the first time.
–
Anyone who is registered in the state Electronic Auction System and pays a refundable deposit of CZK 40,000 to the ÚZSVM account can take part in the auction by 6 April. The applicant must state the address of his / her wallet in the note in the bank transfer. “The actual value of the virtual currency that the winner receives in their virtual wallet will be reduced by the cost of the transaction in the blockchain. The auctioneer always sets a low value for the fee, “specifies Bančanský.
“The cryptocurrency Bitcoin in the amount of 0.42352938 units fell to the state, represented by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters, from criminal proceedings in which three defendants were convicted by the Regional Court in Ostrava. data on foreign payment cards, obtained data on a total of 4,363 payment cards, of which in 1,771 completed transactions they illegally obtained funds in the aggregate amount of CZK 7,237,900, ”explains Bančanský.
The UZSVM does not view Bitcoin as a currency, but considers it a commodity. For this reason, instead of exchange on the cryptocurrency exchange, the state decided to sell by auction. According to the office, cryptocurrency is a type of virtual currency that is not a means of moneyaccording to Act No. 370/2017 Coll.
“If we were to exchange bitcoins for money directly with the” person providing services related to the virtual asset “, then we would first have to register the IRSS, meet the identification requirements and take into account the handling fees. In this case, the ÚZSVM is also not subject to the regulation of Act No. 253/2008 Coll. (Act on Certain Measures against the Legalization of Proceeds from Crime and Terrorist Financing), and therefore may announce a transparent tender, ”adds Bančanský.
–
