⚡️🇺🇸🇰🇵 STORY - He wanted to share his knowledge about Bitcoin and Blockchain. He ended up in prison... for a simple conference.

Virgil Griffith.

Discover on Nostr the incredible story of the developer who dared to challenge the United States by going to talk about crypto... in North Korea.

🔹 The provocative genius.

Born in Alabama in 1983, Virgil Griffith is a pure product of the world of hackers and researchers.

From an early age, he stood out for his brilliant mind and insatiable curiosity.

He studied cognitive science, then turned to computer science and cryptography. But he was no ordinary student: Virgil was a free spirit, a rebel.

In 2003, he made a name for himself by launching WikiScanner. This tool revealed who was editing Wikipedia pages. The result: it was discovered that companies, governments, and organizations were secretly manipulating the encyclopedia.

WikiScanner made headlines around the world. In just a few days, Virgil became a hacktivism star: a mix of researcher, provocateur, and whistleblower.

In his own words, he loves "throwing grenades into a room and seeing who jumps on them."

In 2008, when Bitcoin was just beginning to emerge, the New York Times Magazine published a profile of Griffith.

The title was evocative: "The Internet's Man of Mystery."

The hacker with unruly hair was fascinating. He appeared on a geek reality TV show called King of the Nerds. He was sued after revealing flaws in campus ID cards. But each time, Virgil came out on top.

For him, everything was an experiment, everything was a provocation. A friend once said of him: "For Virgil, life was a video game."

At Caltech University, then in open-source circles, Virgil became passionate about decentralization.

He quickly became a respected figure in the crypto world.

He joined the Ethereum Foundation, alongside Vitalik Buterin and other pioneers. Virgil is not just a technician, he is a speaker, capable of explaining technology to a variety of audiences.

He is a well-known and respected figure at crypto conferences. He travels around the world explaining what blockchain is.

Somewhat provocative, he wants to "liberate" societies from censorship, state control, and the banking system through crypto.

In May 2019, the FBI contacted him and asked to meet with him.

Griffith agreed without really knowing what it was about. He then met with Special Agent Cavanaugh.

He didn't know it yet, but this meeting marked the very beginning of his downfall.

🔹 The forbidden journey.

Against all odds, Virgil Griffith makes a decision that surprises everyone.

He flies to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, to attend a conference... on blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

Kim Jong-un's country is subject to extremely strict international sanctions, accused of massive cyberattacks, notably via the Lazarus group, and suspected of using cryptocurrencies to finance its nuclear program.

So what is Virgil doing there?

Those close to him say he is obsessed with one idea: "talking about technology without borders." In his view, blockchain is universal and should not be constrained by political considerations.

He even asked the US government for permission... but was reportedly refused. Never mind: Virgil is going anyway.

🔹 The fateful conference.

The conference was held in Pyongyang in 2019, under extremely tight security, in a building shaped like an atom.

On stage were a few foreign delegates, North Korean officials, and Virgil Griffith.

His presentation focused on blockchain, smart contracts, and how cryptocurrencies can bypass traditional financial systems.

In the eyes of the US authorities, this was a real provocation, as Virgil described exactly how North Korea could circumvent economic sanctions and move money out of the international banking system.

Griffith even goes so far as to present a smart contract linked to a North Korean missile: "If the sanctions are lifted, the missile will automatically deactivate."

This is too much for the US government, which considers the gesture to be treason.

🔹 The arrest.

In November 2019, as Virgil Griffith was preparing to return home, he was arrested by the FBI at Los Angeles airport.

The charges were serious.

👉 Conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

In short, he was accused of providing technological assistance to a regime under international sanctions.

For this, he faced up to 20 years in prison.

🔹 The trial.

His trial attracts worldwide attention. On one side, US prosecutors portray him as a man who knowingly helped North Korea circumvent sanctions. On the other, his supporters describe him as an idealistic researcher, guilty of recklessness but not treason.

In 2021, Virgil pleaded guilty, admitting that he had crossed the line. But he insisted that his intention was not to strengthen North Korea, only to share knowledge.

In April 2022, the sentence was handed down: 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The hacktivist genius is now a federal prisoner.

🔹 Release.

In July 2023, after serving most of his sentence, Virgil Griffith is finally released.

His release goes almost unnoticed... but in the crypto community, the news spreads quickly.

Today, Virgil is free. But his name remains associated with one of the most explosive cases in the crypto world.

Ultimately, the Virgil Griffith case raises a real question: where does freedom of expression end?

For the United States, his trip to North Korea was unacceptable, a clear violation of international sanctions.

For his supporters, it was just a conference, reckless, certainly, but not illegal.

Greetings to you, Virgil, if you are on Nostr 🫡