Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith is now free.
After presenting at a Blockchain conference in North Korea, he was sentenced to prison.
Prosecutors had alleged his speech "provided highly technical information" that could help the isolated state evade U.S. sanctions.
Griffith was found guilty of a conspiracy charge in September 20,21 and sentenced in April, 2022 to 63-months behind bars.
Last summer the term of the 42-yearold was cut to 56 months, allowing him to be freed this month.
Alexander Urbelis—who is general counsel at ENS Labs and has been assisting with the case—confirmed Griffith's release on X.
He shared a picture of the developer standing outside prison with his mother and father, adding: "Happy day indeed!"
VIRGIL is out! He’s heading back home to his parents and mother. Please leave a message below to help me welcome Virgil home.
It’s a happy day! pic.twitter.com/ixRd5HIjCF
— Alexander Urbelis (@aurbelis) April 9, 2025
"The days when I'm truly proud to be a lawyer are few and far between, but this is one of those days. To be a part of making this reunion happen is an awesome power and one of the highlights of my career," he wrote.
Urbelis added that Griffith had been "counting down the days to be reborn"—and had admitted "the outside world is high stimuli."
While Griffith's release is great news for the Ethereum community, challenges remain.
Brantly Millegan, the former director of operations at Ethereum Name Service, says a "pardon is still important" as Griffith remains on parole—and faces severe work restrictions.
"Onerous probation, aggressive export restrictions from Dep't of Commerce, and issues of fundamental fairness persist," Urbelis added.
Griffith is effectively barred from the crypto industry indefinitely by these restrictions.
During the initial trial, Griffith's lawyers had attempted to argue that the information he disclosed at the Pyongyang conference could easily have been obtained by anyone on the internet—and his speech should have been protected by the First Amendment.
And at his sentencing, the developer admitted he "genuinely, arrogant, and erroneously thought he knew better"—revealing that everyone had warned him it was a "terrible idea" to attend the event.
Griffith is now spending time in a Baltimore halfway house.
Hackers sponsored by the North Korean state have stolen billions from the crypto industry in recent years—and in February, swiped more than $1.4 billion from the Bybit exchange.
Stacy Elliott is the editor.
