China Outlaws NFT Theft, Recognizes Digital Collections as Property

China has declared that stealing digital collections, including NFTs (nonfungible tokens), is a criminal offense. This decision marks a significant shift in the legal treatment of digital assets. The Chinese government’s statement, issued on November 10th, underlines a new understanding of digital collections as data and virtual property. This interpretation brings these assets under the umbrella of “co-offending” in criminal law.