Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith will serve 63 months in prison for conspiring with North Korea to evade US sanctions using cryptocurrency.
The charges against him came after his 2019 trip to the country to give a talk on Ethereum and crypto.
In November 2019, Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was arrested for allegedly helping North Korea escape US sanctions through cryptocurrency. The 39-year-old developer has now been sentenced to 63 months in prison, in addition to a fine of $100,000.
Of note, several nations, including the US have imposed sanctions on North Korea due to its nuclear weapons program. US citizens are also barred from traveling to the Asian country, exempting only those with a permit or special conditions.
Griffith traveled to a blockchain conference in the North Korean capital Pyongyang to give a presentation on Ethereum and cryptocurrency. This he did without permission from the US government. On his way back, he was arrested at the airport and charged with vi
