Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer who labored on the Ethereum Title Service (ENS), has been launched from jail on parole and relocated to a midway home.
Updates posted on X on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, disclosed that Griffith is now beginning his return to civilian life after serving a few of his sentence for violating US sanctions.
Ethereum Developer’s Jail Launch Confirmed By Sources
Brantly Milegan, govt director of Ethereum Identification Basis, broke the information with a photograph of Griffith and his mother and father exterior the jail. Alexander Urbelis, ENS common counsel and a part of Griffith’s authorized crew, confirmed his launch from FCI Milan in Michigan.
VIRGIL GRIFFITH IS OUT OF PRISON!!!
simply launched this morning! he’ll be in a midway home for just a few weeks, and parole after that with work restrictions (so a pardon remains to be essential), however HE IS OUT 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/Q4jRZmryGk
— brantly.eth (@BrantlyMillegan) April 9, 2025
Griffith was arrested in November 2019 after talking at a cryptocurrency convention in North Korea. Prosecutors claimed his presentation supplied info that would assist North Korea evade sanctions and launder cash.
From 63 Months To 56: The Sentence Journey
In 2022, Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in jail and meted a superb of $100,000 after pleading responsible to the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act. In July 2024, US District Decide Kevin Castel lowered his sentence to 56 months, citing him as a first-time offender.
ETHUSD buying and selling at $1,598 on the every day chart: TradingView.com
Crypto Return Faces Critical Hurdles
Griffith himself begins a several-year probation time period. His attorneys are combating to switch him from the midway home to dwelling confinement, however returning to common life is hindered.
The Division of Commerce positioned extreme export restrictions on Virgil that can lengthen till 2032, Urbelis defined. These limits might block his return to the cryptocurrency area.
Presidential Pardon Risk Below Trump Administration
Earlier than becoming a member of Ethereum, Griffith earned a Ph.D. from Caltech and created WikiScanner, a software monitoring nameless Wikipedia edits. He additionally labored with Aaron Swartz on Tor2web.
Based on Urbelis, Griffith is searching for a pardon from US President Donald Trump. Trump has beforehand granted clemency to others in crypto-related instances, together with Ross Ulbricht and Arthur Hayes.
The case has triggered debate about sharing open-source info versus serving to sanctioned nations. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has supported Griffith, even signing a petition calling for his launch in 2023.
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