Vitalik Buterin – Ethereum’s co-founder, has supported estranged developer Virgil Griffith. Recently, FBI officials arrested the somewhat ill-fated developer in Los Angeles on Thanksgiving after he publicly supported North Korea in its efforts to develop cryptocurrencies.
Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum
The FBI arrested him for allegedly helping the North Korean government to use cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to evade sanctions.
Virgil Griffith operates at the Ethereum Foundation, a cryptocurrency that competes with Bitcoin. He was accused by federal prosecutors on Friday when speaking at a cryptocurrency conference in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Buterin supports Virgil Griffith for free
On November 29, the Attorney General’s office for New York South County and the FBI announced that Virgil Griffith, an American developer, was charged with violating the Emergency Economic Power Act at the International level (IEEPA) by going to the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Source: Screenshot of justice.gov
US lawyer Geoffrey S. Berman stated: As alleged, Virgil Griffith has provided high-tech information to North Korea. It is known that this information can be used to help North Korea launder money and evade sanctions. Griffith inadvertently endangered the sanctions that both Congress and the president issued with the purpose of putting maximum pressure on the dangerous regime of North Korea when accused of doing so.
Griffith, US lawyer Geoffrey S. Berman, traveled to North Korea in April to participate in the Cryptocurrency Conference. But he was prevented from going by the State Department from traveling to the country to provide goods, services or technology.
After the arrest, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin signed a petition to free American programmers. He argued that it would be easy for him to step back and let Griffith suffer the consequences of his own actions. But, that is not the right approach.
Buterin confirmed via Twitter:
“I refused to take the convenient route to throw Virgil under the bus, because I firmly believed that it would be wrong. I am signing”.
I refuse to take the convenient path of throwing Virgil under the bus, because I firmly believe that that would be wrong. I’m signing. Reasoning below.https://t.co/E44p5caeJO
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) December 1, 2019
Buterin believes that Griffith’s open geopolitical thinking has helped improve relationships with Ether Ethereum Classic, Hyperledger and others. The move provides a presentation based on publicly available data about open-source software. This actually means “hear out” what “Maximum Evil Enemy” has said.
Buterin concluded that:
“I hope the United States shows strength instead of weakness and focuses on the corruption and harm that it and all nations struggle instead of going after the programmers make public statements”.
One of the most prominent figures in the cryptocurrency community is the head of Ethereum, who came to support Griffith and signed the petition that the CEO at Commerc.io Enrico Talin started. Talin believes that Griffith is a peaceful person, that was only trying to “bridge gaps”.
Talin assured:
“Virgil is a guy that when a fight comes in, he goes in and tries to break it. Sometimes he gets a punch from time to time. He knows the risks of the job”.
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