The post How do the world’s major religions view Bitcoin and cryptocurrency? appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Since the invention of money, the major religions of the world have grappled with its effect on human morality, the unequal distribution of wealth, and the indignities of poverty. “Through money, even the incorruptible can become corrupted,” said the 19th-century Hasidic rabbi Menachem Mendel Kotzk. “Therefore, if they desire to invest their money, let them exercise diligent care lest they be snatched by cupidity, the source of all evil,” wrote Pope Benedict XIV in a 1749 encyclical. “Wealth is the tribulation of the soul and the plunder of calamities,” warned Shia scholar Abu al-Fath al-Amidi. Now, the three Abrahamic religions — Islam, Christianity and Judaism — are encountering a new type of money in the form of cryptocurrency. Halal and Haram crypto is a matter of debate Islam has no central authority like a Pope, leaving scholars to debate whether crypto is halal — that is, permitted by Islamic law. Islam has strict definitions about what constitutes a permissible currency and has explicit rules against usury.  Scholars debate the merits of crypto in Islam (Pexels) Hamza Redzuan, research analyst at the Qatar Centre for Global Banking and Finance, writes, “Some cryptocurrencies are considered to be Shariah-compliant, but crypto has generally elicited mixed views in the Islamic world.” “Some scholars rule that investing in crypto is halal as long as the underlying project is halal, while others consider the whole category to be haram [forbidden], as crypto characteristics, such as valuation based on market fluctuation and its use in gambling, are considered un-Islamic.” Malaysia’s National Ulema Council banned crypto in 2021 because it possesses elements of uncertainty, gambling and harm. Other Islamic scholars who are critical of crypto have raised concerns over its lack of intrinsic value. Islamic legal observers Mohammad Rasikh Wasiq and Mohammad Hamed Shahab write: “Bitcoin does not…

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Filed under: News - @ September 25, 2025 7:29 am