IRS Responds To Privacy, Other Challenges In Bitcoin Records Fight

Forbes covers the amicus brief filed in Coinbase v. United States.

The federal government fired back last week as answered opposition to its ongoing court case between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Coinbase, a company which facilitates transactions of digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. On Friday, the government filed answers to amicus curiae briefs filed by Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), Digital Currency & Ledger Defense Coalition (DCLDC), and Coin Center. The government also responded to opposition filed by Coinbase and John Doe 4.

Amicus curiae is a Latin phrase meaning “friend of the court.” For legal purposes, an amicus curiae is a party who is not formally involved in the case – meaning neither a plaintiff nor a defendant – but someone (or some organization) which does have a vested interest in the outcome. To be heard, the party petitions the court to make an argument. In the Coinbase case, a number of parties have filed as an intervenor (a party who had not been specifically named in the original summons but asks to participate) or amicus curiae.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), founded in 1984, describes itself in court documents as “a public interest organization dedicated to protecting limited government and individual liberty.” The CEI notes that it does not have a direct interest in the case but rather “has extensive experience with the subjects addressed in their amicus curiae brief – such as the role of virtual currencies, the privacy and property implications of broad government data demands in the information age, and the use and misuse of government subpoenas.”

Read the full article at Forbes.