Former Ethereum developer, Virgil Griffith, was sentenced to 63 months in prison and fined $100,000 over a trip to North Korea in 2019 where he gave a talk at a cryptocurrency conference in Pyongyang, Inner City Press reported on Twitter.
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US District Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York stressed that Griffith has "no ideology," which is why he'll play off both sides, "as long as he is at the center." Here's what Griffin himself had to say in the courthouse:
"Watching Ukraine sanctions has shown me their value. I have been cured of my stubborn arrogance, and my obsession with North Korea. My career has been damaged. I am sorry."
Griffith was arrested by the FBI in November 2019 for providing "highly technical information" to North Korea. According to the prosecution, Griffith knew that his information could be used to help North Korea launder money and evade sanctions. Prior to the arrest, he worked as a research scientist at the Ethereum Foundation.
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