Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum researcher, was released from prison on April 9, 2025, following his arrest in 2019 for delivering a lecture in North Korea about blockchain technology's potential to bypass U.S. sanctions. After being charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Griffith entered a plea deal in September 2021 and was sentenced to 56 months in prison along with a $100,000 fine in April 2022. Throughout his legal battle, he contended that the information he shared was publicly accessible and did not constitute a violation of the law. Currently, Griffith will spend several weeks in a halfway house as part of his parole process. His case underscores the ongoing tension between blockchain innovation and regulatory boundaries, reflecting broader issues surrounding financial control and censorship in the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency.

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