Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer who labored on the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), has been released from prison 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 Prison Release Confirmed By Sources
Brantly Milegan, government director of Ethereum Identity Foundation, broke the information with a photograph of Griffith and his dad and mom exterior the jail. Alexander Urbelis, ENS basic 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 a couple of weeks, and parole after that with work restrictions (so a pardon remains to be vital), 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 offered data that might 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 fantastic of $100,000 after pleading guilty to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In July 2024, US District Judge Kevin Castel lowered his sentence to 56 months, citing him as a first-time offender.
ETHUSD buying and selling at $1,598 on the day by day chart: TradingView.com
Crypto Return Faces Serious Hurdles
Griffith himself begins a several-year probation time period. His attorneys are preventing to switch him from the midway home to house confinement, however returning to common life is hindered.
The Department of Commerce positioned extreme export restrictions on Virgil that can lengthen till 2032, Urbelis defined. These limits might block his return to the cryptocurrency subject.
Presidential Pardon Possibility Under Trump Administration
Before 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.
According to Urbelis, Griffith is in search of a pardon from US President Donald Trump. Trump has beforehand granted clemency to others in crypto-related circumstances, together with Ross Ulbricht and Arthur Hayes.
The case has triggered debate about sharing open-source information versus serving to sanctioned nations. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has supported Griffith, even signing a petition calling for his launch in 2023.
Featured picture from Thiessen Law Firm, chart from TradingView
Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering completely researched, correct, and unbiased content material. We uphold strict sourcing requirements, and every web page undergoes diligent overview by our crew of prime expertise consultants and seasoned editors. This course of ensures the integrity, relevance, and worth of our content material for our readers.
