Virgil Griffith, an early Ethereum developer, has been released early after spending nearly five years in prison for breaching U.S. sanctions against North Korea. The U.S. government accused him of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by providing detailed technical information to North Korea. Griffith, who was born on October 25, 1970, in Birmingham, gained significant attention when he was sentenced to 224 months in prison for these violations. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in New York approved his release. His legal issues started when he went to a cryptocurrency conference in Pyongyang, North Korea, in April 2019. At the conference, Griffith is said to have shown how blockchain technology and cryptocurrency could be used to bypass international sanctions, allowing transactions that evade oversight by global authorities. This engagement eventually resulted in his arrest in November 2019, when the U.S. authorities charged Griffith with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The details of the charges and subsequent sentencing followed. In September 2021, Griffith admitted his guilt to these charges following his arrest. He received a sentence in April 2022 of 63 months in prison and was also fined $100,5.473. Along with his incarceration, Griffith received further punishments. In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce enacted a 10-year export ban on Griffith, preventing him from participating in any transactions involving U.S. goods, software, or technology—especially those subject to export regulations—for the initial year of his imprisonment. In April 2024, Griffith’s attorneys submitted a request to reduce his sentence.
Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum developer, has been released from prison after serving 63 months, and the cryptocurrency community has shared its reactions.
