CURRENT ASPECTS OF TRANSFORMATION OF ECONOMIC RELATIONS: CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND THEIR LEGAL REGULATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of transformation of economic relations due to the emergence of such phenomenon as cryptocurrency. It is substantiated that its appearance is connected with the development of the information society, the formation of the virtual economy and the spread of digitization processes in all spheres of economic activity. It is proved that despite the innovative nature of the revolutionary character and the considerable potential for stimulating radical changes in the sphere of economic relations and economic model of modern society, the cryptocurrency is a confirmation of the evolution of money. From the point of view of the theory of money, the ability of cryptocurrency to perform the functions of money (measures of value, means of payment and medium of exchange, accumulation, world money), as well as new specific functions — social, regulatory, indicative and others, — have been proved.
 Analysis of the practice of cryptocurrencies spread gave the opportunity to reveal their characteristic features on grounds of the format of money, unit of account, legal status, money creation, stability of payment, mechanism of exchange, regulation and supervision, risks, etc. In addition, the positive properties of cryptocurrencies and their possible negative effects are identified.
 It is emphasized that the adoption and active spread of cryptocurrencies leads to the transformation of economic relations, and more precisely, the objective formation of a new system of economic relations as a compensator of the negative manifestations of a modern economic society, which, at the same time, has exacerbated to some extent the threats to the traditional monetary system. This is confirmed by the tendencies of the development of the cryptocurrency market, changes in the position of the central banks of the countries of the world from rigid rejection to the development of national cryptocurrencies, including in Ukraine.
 The problematic aspects of determining the legal status of cryptocurrencies in the regulation of cryptocurrency in Ukraine from the point of view of civil-law relations and relatively criminal-law context have been identified. It is concluded that it is necessary to determine the legal status of cryptocurrency in Ukraine, taking into account the position of the leading countries of the world.