UDC 347.4:347.122
DOI 10.37749/2308-9639-2025-12(276)-1
R. A. MAYDANYK , Doctor of Law, Professor, Professor of the Department of Civil Procedure, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
ORCID: 0000-0003-1661-0535
SECURITY RIGHTS IN DIGITAL THINGS. IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES INTO UKRAINIAN LAW
The article is devoted to the study of the implementation of best practices of security rights for digital things into Ukrainian law.
It is proven that in modern law, the global trend towards the turnover of digital things necessitates the introduction of security rights in relation to a digital thing according to the rules of a legally equated thing or property rights of the subject of security, which reflects the peculiarities of the intangible nature and information systems ensuring the civil turnover of a specific digital thing.
It is argued that it is advisable to base legislative provisions on security rights in digital things in the law of Ukraine on a general presumption of the admissibility of recognizing a digital thing, equated to a thing or property right, as the subject of security rights, taking into account the specifics of the application of certain security rights to a specific digital thing on the basis of law, contract and/or the essence of the security relationship.
It is noted that, in its essence, a security right over a digital thing is an exclusive right to dispose of it preferentially over other creditors in the event of a delay in the performance of the secured obligation .
It is advisable for the Civil Code of Ukraine to provide for provisions on the general conditions for securing digital things, based on the control of a digital thing as a functional analogue of the transfer of a material thing that is the subject of security rights.
The provisions of the Civil Code of Ukraine should provide for general conditions for securing a digital thing, according to which, in order to grant an enforceable security right : (1) the security creditor must provide the digital thing ; (2) the debtor must have rights to the subject of security or the authority to transfer the right ; and (3) the condition regarding the transfer of the digital thing under the control of the creditor must be satisfied.
The conclusion is made that security rights in digital things that have become effective against third parties as a result of control over those assets prevail. If one secured creditor has made a security right effective against third parties by registration or in another manner recognized by law but has not acquired control over the digital thing , and another secured creditor has made the security right effective as a result of control, the secured creditor who has made a security right effective in the digital thing against third parties on the basis of control shall prevail .
It was noted that the provisions on security rights in digital things should be extended to digital things that are suitable for control .
Keywords: security rights, digital thing, property, virtual assets, cryptoassets.
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