With the increasing demand for Bitcoin and its price increasing by sixfold since the beginning of the year, Madina Kalimullina, adviser on Islamic Economics and Finance of the Russian Muftis Council has started a discussion on creating a ‘halal cryptocurrency’.
Kalimullina indicated that sharia law has not yet been developed for the usage of Bitcoin; whether it is permissible in Islam or not is yet to be discovered but she is hopeful that within the next few years, the law would have been introduced.
“Sharia standards do not cover this issue yet, but in the perspective of two or three years they can be developed,” Kalimullina said after a conference in Kazan.
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Bitcoin also referred to as ‘virtual currency’, uses Blockchain technology for transactions all over the world. Governments have not yet regulated the currency with its blockchain mechanism promising complete secrecy.
From close to $800 at the start of the year, a single Bitcoin is now being traded for over $6000
Its presence in the digital space, an inability to be physically touched or put in a safe, also makes it more susceptible to technological threats. This inability can also lead to the disparity of whether Bitcoin can be considered a halal form of investment or not.
Kalimullina argues that the lack of regulation and the volatility associated with both the form of currency and its unregulated nature answers the question of whether Bitcoin should be approved in Islamic states and communities.
“Among the main arguments against bitcoin is a high degree of risk (maisir) and uncertainty (garar), a lack of provision of real assets and state guarantees,” she said.
Experts and scholars all over the world added that there is no definite conclusion to this debate.
“As a payment network, Bitcoin is halal. In fact, Bitcoin goes beyond what more conventional closed banking networks offer,” adds Matthew J Martin of Blossom Finance, a fintech startup based in Indonesia.
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The argument is based on the fact that all modern sovereign currencies are based on debt with usury which is why not all they are all not considered halal.
Bitcoin is presumably not based on debt and is grounded on “proof of work.”
Sharia law requires a currency to be tangible or to have evidence of existence. According to RT, any currency to be considered halal should be deflationary and have a steady market value.
This article originally appeared on RT.
The post Can there be a ‘Halal’ form of Bitcoin? appeared first on The Express Tribune.
from The Express Tribune http://ift.tt/2iT1aAC
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