As an analyst with a background in technology and international relations, I’ve been closely following the Julian Assange case and its intersections with cryptocurrency. The recent development of Assange pleading guilty to one count of conspiring and disclosing classified information marks a significant turn in this protracted legal battle between the Australian activist and the U.S. government.
The founder of WikiLeaks is preparing to return to Australia following his admission of guilt for one charge involving the unauthorized disclosure and conspiracy to share classified information.
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is planning to go back to Australia and admit guilt for one offense involving the unauthorized disclosure of classified information that he conspired to reveal. This potential plea agreement, pending judicial endorsement, signifies a notable progression in the lengthy legal dispute between Assange and the U.S. administration.
According to Reuters, drawing from court documents in the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange is looking at a potential sentence of 62 months. However, it’s uncertain if he will serve any more time beyond that, considering he has already spent approximately 1,900 days at Belmarsh Prison in the UK. WikiLeaks verified on June 25th through an X post that Assange had been discharged from Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison following his extended stay of over 1,900 days.
Julian Assange has been released from Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison following a court order granting him bail. On the morning of June 24, after serving approximately five and a half years behind bars, he left the facility and was welcomed outside at Stansted Airport in the afternoon hours. There, he boarded a plane to continue his journey.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024
Starting in 2010, I became a part of WikiLeaks, an organization that made global news by releasing over half a million classified U.S. military documents pertaining to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fast forward to 2017, and I was instrumental in revealing documents detailing Russia’s extensive use of internet and cellphone surveillance.
I’ve uncovered that Joshua Adam Schulte, a former CIA software engineer, was sentenced to serve 40 years in prison following his conviction in February. The charges against him included espionage, computer hacking, contempt of court, and making false statements to the FBI, as well as possession and distribution of child pornography. Notably, Schulte is known for leaking the largest collection of classified data to WikiLeaks.
“The swarm is headed towards us”
WikiLeaks’ path crossed with the realm of cryptocurrencies, most notably Bitcoin. During this time, Assange attempted to collect donations in Bitcoin as traditional financial services such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Amazon, and others refused transactions to WikiLeaks.
During a Reddit AMA session in 2014, I mentioned that Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, had voiced objections when we at WikiLeaks attempted to use the emerging cryptocurrency in 2010. Back then, Nakamoto feared that linking Bitcoin too closely with our organization could potentially swamp the currency in its early stages.
“I implore WikiLeaks to reconsider using Bitcoin. As a fledgling community in its infant stages, Bitcoin can only offer you pocket change. The attention you would draw could potentially harm us during this early development phase.”
Satoshi Nakamoto
A few days prior to his unexplained disappearance, Nakamoto cautioned about the potential consequences of WikiLeaks’ connection to cryptocurrencies, warning, “WikiLeaks has disturbed a hornet’s nest, and the angry swarm is heading our way.” Despite this warning, Assange reportedly invested in Bitcoin, earning an impressive 50,000% profit. The precise amount of Bitcoin currently held by Assange remains undisclosed.
In one fashion or another, the cryptocurrency world found a link between Julian Assange’s tale and digital currencies. Following a 2021 U.K. High Court decision permitting Assange’s extradition, his advocates established a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) named AssangeDAO to champion his freedom. This grassroots movement amassed more than 17,400 Ether in donations, with contributions from influential crypto figures such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
As an analyst, I’ve noticed that transparency became a concern for AssangeDAO at a later stage. This was brought to light when blockchain analysis firm SlowMist detected questionable transaction activities, which appeared to resemble a “soft rug pull.”
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2024-06-25 10:56