Former Ethereum employee jailed for talking at North Korea crypto conference about dodging sanctions
https://www.pcgamer.com/former-ethereum-employee-jailed-for-talking-at-north-korea-crypto-conference-about-dodging-sanctions/Virgil Griffith, a former employee of the Ethereum Foundation, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison and fined $100,000, after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate US law: specifically, US International Emergency Economic Powers Act (thanks, BBC). The 39 year-old was accused of having "participated in discussions regarding using cryptocurrency technologies to evade sanctions and launder money" with the North Korean authorities, per the charge sheet, and had he not cut a plea deal could have faced up to 20 years inside and $1 million in fines.
Griffith had travelled to North Korea's capital city Pyongyang in April 2019 to give a presentation on blockchain tech at a crypto conference—despite applying for and being denied permission by the US State Department to attend. Prosecutors said that Griffith understood how crypto could be used to evade US sanctions on North Korea, "participated in discussions regarding using cryptocurrency technologies to evade sanctions and launder money," and quoted parts of Griffith's presentation:
"The most important feature of blockchains is that they are open. And the DPRK can't be kept out no matter what the USA or the UN says."
The Ethereum Foundation sa
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........ North Korean Crypto conference? eat yer heart out Miami .. who would have thunk it ?
ps, Virgil Griffith got butt fucked... 5 years... ouch
