Crypto expert charged with violating U.S. Sanctions against North Korea

Virgil Griffith faces charges for allegedly traveling to North Korea and providing guidance on cryptocurrency. Supporters, though, are backing Griffith. Photo by Lulu Lorien | CC BY-SA 4.0

An American technologist is facing U.S. charges for allegedly violating economic sanctions against North Korea.

Virgil Griffith, who lives in Singapore, is accused of traveling to North Korea to deliver a presentation and provide technical advice on using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to evade sanctions. He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 27.

“Despite receiving warnings not to go, Griffith allegedly traveled to one of the United States’ foremost adversaries, North Korea, where he taught his audience how to use blockchain technology to evade sanctions,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers.

Some, though, are coming to Griffith’s support, including starting a petition to free him.

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

Griffith is represented by an L.A. lawyer, Brian Klein.

I now represent Virgil Griffith and am very pleased that today the judge found that he should be released from jail pending trial. We dispute the untested allegations in the criminal complaint, and Virgil looks forward to his day in court, when the full story can come out.
— Brian Klein (@brianeklein) December 3, 2019