A judge says bitcoin is just another form of money, which means it could be exempt from capital gains tax – a decision that upends the Australian Taxation Office’s approach to taxing cryptocurrency and could open the door to millions in refunds.

The judgment – made public for the first time here – was made as part of a criminal case brought against a former Australian Federal Police officer who allegedly stole 81.6 bitcoin in 2019, then valued at approximately $492,000. Today it would be worth just over $13 million.