Legal Analysis of the Seizure and Forfeiture of Cryptocurrency Assets in Criminal Offenses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasse.v4i5.33Keywords:
Cryptocurrency, Seizure, Forfeiture, Money Laundering, Criminal LawAbstract
The increasing adoption of cryptocurrency as a form of digital asset has introduced significant challenges to Indonesia's criminal justice system, particularly regarding the seizure and forfeiture of assets associated with criminal activities, including money laundering. The intangible, decentralized, pseudonymous, and transnational nature of cryptocurrencies complicates the ability of law enforcement authorities to identify, trace, secure, and recover assets linked to unlawful activities. This study examines the necessity of establishing a comprehensive legal framework governing the seizure and forfeiture of cryptocurrency assets in criminal proceedings and explores possible directions for future regulatory development in Indonesia. Employing a normative juridical method, the research integrates statutory, conceptual, historical, comparative, and case-based approaches. The findings reveal that Indonesia's existing legal framework has yet to establish sufficiently specific and comprehensive procedures for the seizure and forfeiture of cryptocurrency assets. Although the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code provide general legal grounds for confiscating assets associated with criminal offenses, their application to cryptocurrencies presents substantial legal and technical challenges. These challenges include determining the legal classification of digital assets, obtaining control over private keys, tracing blockchain transactions, and managing assets transferred through foreign digital wallets. Future regulations should explicitly address the legal recognition of cryptocurrency assets, procedures for their seizure and forfeiture, secure digital asset management, blockchain-based tracing mechanisms, and international cooperation in cross-border asset recovery.
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