Cryptocurrency

A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to secure financial transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems. The decentralized control of each cryptocurrency works through distributed ledger technology, typically a blockchain, that serves as a public financial transaction database.

141305

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 month ago

Ayatullah Sayyed Musa Shubairi Al-Zanjani, detailed his verdict on this issue by saying: If dealing with this type of currency has economic corruption or is contrary to the law, then dealing with it, selling and buying it is problematic. And exchanges with it, and it is not permissible to refer it to another mujtahid. While a number of our scholars went for the permissibility of dealing with it and considering the transaction valid, including Ayatullah Muhammad Saeed Al-Hakim, who said: The crypto currency transaction is permissible, but it may expose the believers’ money to danger, so caution is necessary.. Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Sadiq Al-Rouhani said: It is permissible to deal with it through the direct purchase of things through it, or in exchange for its exchanged value against other currencies, whether electronic or paper, and there is no problem with that from this point of view.Among them is Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad. Ishaq Al-Fayyad who said: It is permissible if it has value and the transactions in it are not approved as a waste of money dealing with usurious transactions. 

There are many other leading scholars in the Hawza of Najaf Ashraf and Qum who also say that dealing with cryptocurrencies is permissible.

Wassalam.

113758

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 months ago

Cryptocurrency dealing is a new financial issue which needs to be very clear for the Marja' of Taqleed to give a verdict on it. Many of our great Maraaje' have not yet issued a verdict on it, while few other Maraaje' have issued verdicts on it.

There are Marje's is Najaf Ashraf and Qum who say that dealing in cryptocurrency is permissible like any other trading provided that it should not contradict with the law of the land and does not harm others.

Wassalam.

126207

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 10 months ago

As such type of dealings are still not very clear for many scholars, some of our Maraaji' of Taqleed have not yet given any verdict about it, but there are Maraaji' who say that it is allowed to deal with cryptocurrency as far as it is a business not gambling, and has no harm on people and goes according to the rules and regulations of your country.

Wassalam.

120635

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Bitcoin is been studied by many Islamic scholars in different levels and accordingly different verdicts have come from different scholars while many leading scholars (Maraaje' of Taqleed) have not issued any verdict waiting for information or research.

Ayatullah Sistani did not issue any verdict regarding Bitcoin till now.

There are scholars in Najaf Ashraf and Qom who say that dealing with Bitcoin is permissible as far as it does not violate the law and does not harm any one.

NFT is still under research among many scholars but the problem with it is lack of evidence that it deals with really existing material. Till we hear a clear verdict from an authentic Marja' of Taqleed, we need to wait unless you are sure that you are buying or selling an existing material.

Wassalam.

118588

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

The cryptocurrency dealings are still not very clear for many of our Maraaje' of Taqleed keeping in mind the contra-dictionary reports about it. That is why many of them did not give a verdict on this matter till now (2nd January 2022). We might expect verdicts from them after the matter is more clear. Yet, there are few leading Ulama who say that dealing in cryptocurrency business is permissible as far as it is within the regulations and not harming the economic system. According to this verdict, it is allowed to take part in such business. Quick profit or quick loss does not change the validity of the business as far as it is legal and not harming people.

Wassalam.

107627

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

1. Investing in crypto currencies is allowed according to many leading scholars.

2. Receiving fixed profit is not allowed because it is a type of usury. Your investment should get you a percentage from the profit, if any. Fixed amount of income is not allowed. It should be a fixed percentage from the real profit.

Wassalam.

104385

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

When your Marja' has not issued a Fatwa (verdict) on a specific matter, you can refer to the second Marja' who is next highest in the degree of knowledge according to most senior Ulama of the Hawza.

Wassalam.

102489

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Yes it is permissible to buy and sell like any other lawful businesses. 
'Wassalam.

64229

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Yes it is permissible like any other business as far as it is real business and not gambling nor cheating in selling something which is not existing.

Wassalam.

78647

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

According to many of our leading scholars who studied the present financial market, it is allowed to deal in crypto currencies as far as it is real trade and not gambling or non existing imagination.

'Wassalam.

98543

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answer updated 2 years ago

Bitcoin or any other crypto currency mining is permissible.

'Wassalam.

97772

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 years ago

Cryptocurrency is one of those new issues that has some vagueness about it, both in terms of how it fits into understandings of shari'ah and also how it will fit into the world at large. Similar issues, in the past, were the emergence of cameras, credit cards, and democracy; it took time for there to develop both an understanding of the role they would play in the world, and also how to approach them from the angle of religious law. Only time will tell whether cyptocurrencies will eventually supplant state-regulated currencies in the way that digital bank accounts have, in many areas, supplanted cash, or state-regulated currencies supplanted things like coins with hard value (such as gold or silver).

Currently, due to the uncertainty regarding cryptocurrency, many (not all) scholars have approached the subject cautiously. Additional concerns include (a) the use of cryptocurrency for unlawful activities, (b) the illegality of cryptocurrency in some areas, and (c) the potential for harm/fraud.

Here is an article addressing fatwas from Shi'i scholars regarding Bitcoin, being the most common cyptocurrency: http://ijtihadnet.com/bitcoin-perspective-shiite-clerics-fatwas/