가상화폐 관련 형사법적 문제에 관한 고찰

Abstract

최근 랜섬웨어를 통한 해킹에서 비트코인을 요구하는 사례가 빈번해졌다. 그만큼 비트코인등 가상화폐는 익명성을 중요시하는 암시장, 즉 블랙마켓에서는 더욱 중요한 거래수단이 된다. 하지만 가상화폐의 기반이 되는 블록체인 기술이 핀테크 등 미래의 금융에서 중요한 기술이되는 만큼 규제로 일관하는 태도를 취할 수는 없다. 따라서 범죄에 활용된다는 불안과 변화의큰 흐름에서 기회를 이용해야 한다는 실리 사이에서 합리적인 해결점을 생각해야 할 시점이기에기술적으로 발전한 가상화폐, 특히 비트코인을 중심으로 그 효용성과 그로 인한 사기, 도박, 탈세 및 테러 등 각종 범죄 발생의 가능성, 그리고 이에 대처할 방안은 무엇인지에 대하여 고민해볼 필요가 있다. 각국의 금융당국에 의한 통제를 받지 않겠다는 취지로 온라인에서의 안전한 거래를 표방하여블록체인 방식의 가상화폐가 자발적으로 등장하였는데, 가상화폐가 갈구한 자유는 오히려 지하경제에서의 수단을 확대한 결과도 초래하였다. 지금까지 정부당국은 그 정책목적을 달성하기위해 중개기관에 대한 규율만으로 충분했지만, 비트코인 등 가상화폐의 블록체인 시스템이 확산될 경우 단순한 지급행위를 통제하는 것조차 어렵게 된다. 만일 중개기관이 없이 수백만의 P2P 이용자들만 있다면, 집행이 불가능하거나 가능하더라도 그 집행비용이 상상을 초월할 것이다. 이러한 환경에서는 정부가 정보 통제를 함에 있어 비용이 지속적으로 증가하는 상황을 감안해야한다. 하향식 규제가 적절한 대안이 아니라면, 정책당국자는 탄력적이고 변경 가능한 수단에초점을 맞춘 대안을 고려해야 할 것이다.

While the international community was bustling with that Kim Jong-nam was recently killed, Kim Han-Sol(Kim Jong-Nam's son) said in an internet video that he was alive. At the same time, ‘Cheollima Civil Defense’ which claims to be a sponsoring organization appeared in the video image, and this organization raises supporting funds as Bitcoin to protect Kim Han-Sol and his family, so a matter of common interest in virtual currency is rising again. Nowadays, Ransomware hacking tool is required to Bitcoin. In this paper, we propose a solution to the problem of virtual currency, especially Bitcoin, which is based on its usefulness and the possibility of occurrence of various crimes such as fraud, gambling, tax evasion, terrorism caused by it and the measures to cope with it. The value of virtual currency, such as Bitcoin, will be set in proportion to the Korean Won. So, if virtual currency is limited to domestic market, it will have little impact on monetary policy. But, if the volume of transactions of virtual currency circulated only in the country increase or decrease dramatically because of a change in situation at home and abroad, the value of money in the country may fluctuate accordingly. Therefore, if virtual money is formally recognized and circulated in earnest, the financial authorities such as the Bank of Korea should manage virtual currency transactions in a similar way to foreign exchange management. In order to do this, it is necessary to understand the volume and situation of virtual currency traded in the country through the integrated Currency Exchange. However, it will not be easy to guarantee the effectiveness of such regulation because it will have to rely on voluntary reporting by the trading entity without an intermediary such as a financial institution. The best method of supervision is to develop and circulate domestic only virtual currency led by monetary authorities. But it is not suitable to the autonomous nature of virtual currency, and it is hard to be sure that the government-initiated virtual currency will be operated well on the nature of currency which has crucial function to distribute in the world. For the purpose of securing the trustworthiness of virtual currency, it is possible for the officials of the World Financial Authority to agree to create a public virtual currency or to designate some virtual currencies based on the smoothness of the transaction and distribution among the virtual currencies currently being traded, but it is difficult to develop heated discussion at this time. Consequently, what can be discussed now is the issue of establishing a dedicated department composed of experts who can identify and monitor the transaction status of virtual currency to the financial authorities and who can propose the prosecution to the investigating authorities based on their findings. Government authorities must consider the benefits and losses of the regulation in excluding or limiting certain financial transactions based on virtual currency. The sum of regulatory costs and enforcement costs should be less than profits. Although the Blockchain technology used for virtual currency such as Bitcoin makes higher the possibility of tax evasion, increases online fraud & online gambling, leads to hacking and embezzlement, and the absence of intermediary institutions will cause difficulties in regulation, but the government should strive to produce desirable results that generate profits rather than fighting to increase costs in the wholehearted devotion to regulation.