contract-law cryptocurrency gift
I told my friend I&#39;d give him &#163;10 in Bitcoin for their birthday 5 years ago but never did. Am I liable for &#163;0, &#163;10 or &#163;1000?
<p>Two questions.</p>
<p>Firstly, is it enforceable.</p>
<p>Secondly, if it were, would I owe £10 in Bitcoin now, or the amount of Bitcoin at the date £10 would get you 5 years ago?</p>
<p>I believe I've answered the first question, since:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Under the donative-promise principle, a simple, un-relied upon donative promise is unenforceable.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, say hypothetically it was enforceable, would I owe £10 or £1000 (since bitcoin has seen a massive increase in 5 years)?</p>
<p>P.S. I never bought or owned the promised Bitcoin in the first place</p>

<p>Not enforceable. Firstly, because there is no consideration moving from the friend (becoming of a certain age probably wouldn't count as a good consideration). Secondly, because it was a friend, and, absent evidence of the contrary (e.g. written agreement), no intention to create legal relations is presumed.</p>
<p>If you told him you'd give him £10 by specific means — <strong>that's</strong> what you would have to give him, by those means, be it goats or bitcoins.</p>
