Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has pleaded guilty in an agreement with federal prosecutors for violating sanctions law after giving a consultation on blockchain-related technologies at a North Korean conference in April 2019. According to journalist Ethan Lou, who attended the hearing, Griffith pled guilty because of the barring of the remote testimony of an Ethereum Foundation lawyer.
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"Virgil was quite emotional. Deep sighs sometimes when he spoke. Unclear what new development caused this guilty plea. The paperwork was signed only yesterday," Lou tweeted.
Griffith has initially faced up to 20 years in prison for consulting North Korea on cryptocurrencies. However, the plea deal has decreased the term down to a maximum of 6.5 years in prison. He will be sentenced on January 13, 2021.
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