Some aspects of the legal nature of virtual assets/cryptocurrencies in the conditions of global digitalization
Authors: Milash Victoria 
Published: July 2020

Problem setting. Comprehensive digitalization of all spheres of life, as one of the most important factors of economic growth in any country, is the mainstream of the modern global world. Digital transformations in the economy are changing approaches to both the organization and conduct of economic activity and the format of its state regulation. The development of the digital economy is inextricably linked with the “digitalization” of a number of traditional objects and / or forms of interaction between participants in economic relations, as well as the emergence and active circulation of new objects whose existence is possible only in digital format (“ digital objects “). Virtual assets / cryptocurrency are one of such objects to which there has been a bivalent attitude since its appearance, and to the legal nature of which a unified approach has not been formed to date.
Analysis of recent researches and publications. Among the researchers who in their works addressed the issue of the legal nature of virtual assets / cryptocurrency and transactions with it, it should be noted M.V. Grebenyuk, B.V. Derevyanko, I.M. Doronin, A.T. Kovalchuk, L.O. Nikitin, S.S. Pylypyshyn, V.A. Ustymenko and others. At the same time, a full-scale study of this issue, in particular from the standpoint of economic law, requires further legal, including economic and legal research.
Target of research is to study the heterogeneous nature of virtual assets / cryptocurrencies in the context of digital transformations in the economy and modernization of domestic legislation.
Article’s main body. In the context of global digitalization, the scale and pace of digital transformations associated with the emergence of new digital objects, their active involvement in civil, economic turnover and subsequent market turnover are growing. Virtual assets/cryptocurrency are one of the objects in relation to which there has been a bivalent attitude since its appearance, and in relation to the legal nature of which a unified approach has not been formed to date. This article discusses the first official explanations in Ukraine on the nature of virtual assets / cryptocurrencies, as well as the position of the Office of Effective Regulation (BRDO) and theoretical and legal approaches to this object. Qualification features are analyzed, which contains the legislative definition of “virtual asset”, which together represent its functional heterogeneity. Some issues related to the contractual basis for the circulation of virtual assets / cryptocurrencies are highlighted, and suggestions for further development of the current legislation on these facilities are provided.
Conclusions and prospects for the development. Legislative legalization of the concept of “virtual assets” is an important step towards the legalization of the virtual assets market and the first stage of the institution of virtual assets, further development of which requires intensification of work on the development of relevant legislation on virtual assets. connection with the generation (issue) and circulation of virtual assets. At the same time, achieving a synergistic effect in the legal regulation of relations, the object of which are virtual assets/cryptocurrency, necessitates appropriate amendments to the Commercial and Civil Codes of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine “On e-commerce”, tax, investment legislation and more.