{"id":21468,"date":"2025-04-10T10:32:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T10:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=21468"},"modified":"2025-04-10T10:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T10:32:48","slug":"ethereum-researcher-virgil-griffith-released-from-prison-moves-to-halfway-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=21468","title":{"rendered":"Ethereum Researcher Virgil Griffith Released From Prison, Moves to Halfway House"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith has been released from federal prison and transferred to a halfway house, Bureau of Prisons officials confirmed on 9 April 2025. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BrantlyMillegan\/status\/1909950339849003371\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">crypto developer Brantly Millegan<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Griffith is expected to remain in the halfway house for several weeks as he completes the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">next<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> stages of his parole process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His case, which began with his 2019 arrest for presenting at a blockchain conference in North Korea, has become one of the most high-profile legal incidents involving a blockchain developer and the US government.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">EXPLORE:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/best-ai-crypto-coins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">10 Best AI Crypto Coins to Invest in 2025<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Griffith Arrested For Blockchain Lecture Allegedly Aiding North Korea Sanctions Evasion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Griffith was <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">originally arrested<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> after giving a lecture in Pyongyang. The US authorities said that the lecture provided \u201chighly technical information\u201d about blockchain technology. Furthermore, it could potentially aid North Korea in evading US<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> sanctions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The US government charged Griffith with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">IEEPA restricts<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> American citizens from engaging in unauthorized economic interactions with foreign adversaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While Griffith\u2019s presentation included information readily available online, the government argued that sharing it directly with a sanctioned regime still constituted a legal violation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In January 2020, a grand jury indicted him on conspiracy charges under the IEEPA. Initially pleading not guilty, Griffith\u2019s defense attempted to dismiss the case, arguing that his actions did not breach the law.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">VIRGIL GRIFFITH IS OUT OF PRISON!!!<\/p>\n<p>just released this morning! he&#8217;ll be in a halfway house for a few weeks, and parole after that with work restrictions (so a pardon is still important), but HE IS OUT <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f64f.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude4f\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q4jRZmryGk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/Q4jRZmryGk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 brantly.eth (@BrantlyMillegan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrantlyMillegan\/status\/1909950339849003371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">April 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In September 2021, after nearly two years of legal proceedings, Griffith accepted a plea deal. He admitted to violating US sanctions laws. He was sentenced in April 2022 to 63 months in prison and fined $100,000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Efforts to reduce his sentence followed. In April 2024, Griffith\u2019s legal team filed a motion for a sentence reduction. The plea met with opposition from federal prosecutors who maintained that his actions posed a national security risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Despite this, Judge Kevin Castel granted a sentence reduction in July 2024. Griffith\u2019s prison term was shortened to 56 months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">EXPLORE:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/new-cryptocurrency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Inside North Korea\u2019s Billion-Dollar Crypto Heists: Funding Nukes In Shadows<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">North Korea has taken crypto <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/news\/billion-dollar-crypto-hacks-linked-to-north-koreas-weapons-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">hacking to a state-sponsored level<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, with its Lazarus Group reportedly stealing billions in digital assets to support its heavily sanctioned economy and nuclear weapons program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">major<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> incident in February 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/news\/fbi-fingers-lazarus-in-bybit-heist-time-to-control-your-crypto-wallet\/\">Lazarus stole $1.5 billion from crypto exchange Bybit<\/a>, employing sophisticated tactics like fake job offers, malicious apps, and multi-chain fund laundering to evade detection. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Since 2017, the regime is believed to have executed over 50 similar attacks, accumulating nearly $3 billion in illicit crypto.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Despite some indictments and public warnings from U.S. authorities, enforcing sanctions and recovering stolen funds remains a massive challenge due to crypto\u2019s anonymous and decentralized nature. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In addition to cyberattacks, North Korea also uses forged documents and convoluted trade routes to acquire sensitive nuclear technology, highlighting the regime\u2019s growing reliance on unconventional tools to sustain and advance its weapons ambitions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">DISCOVER:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/best-meme-coin-icos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in April 2025<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/discord.gg\/B7Uk6agkqj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways\">\n<h3 class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__title\">Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list\">\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith has been released from prison and moved to a halfway house as part of his parole process.<\/span>    <\/li>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Griffith was arrested in 2019 for giving a blockchain lecture in North Korea, violating U.S. sanctions laws.<\/span>    <\/li>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After a plea deal and sentence reduction, he <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is now serving<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the final phase of his 56-month sentence.<\/span>    <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/news\/ethereum-researcher-virgil-griffith-released-from-prison-moves-to-halfway-house\/\">Ethereum Researcher Virgil Griffith Released From Prison, Moves to Halfway House<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/\">99Bitcoins<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith has been released from federal prison and transferred to a halfway house, Bureau of Prisons officials confirmed on 9 April 2025. According to crypto developer Brantly Millegan, Griffith is expected to remain in the halfway house for several weeks as he completes the next stages of his parole process. His case, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-21468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-crypto","tag-doge","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21468\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}