Arrested crypto expert Virgil Griffith allegedly told sources it would be «very cool» if North Korea mined ether.
The comment was made in April 2018 when he also revealed his intentions to arrange the delivery of equipment to the U.S.-sanctioned state, a «Reuters» report said, citing two unnamed sources. Griffith reportedly planned to move equipment into North Korea through China with the help of a Singaporean friend who was visiting Pyongyang to participate in the annual marathon.
It could not be confirmed if Griffith had actually executed his plan to deliver equipment.
«We dispute the untested allegations in the criminal complaint,» said Brian Klein, Griffith’s attorney, in a statement. «[Virgil Griffith] looks forward to his day in court, when the full story can come out.»
Knowledge Transfer
Griffith is facing charges that he transferred technical knowledge during a trip to Pyongyang this April detailing how cryptocurrency technology could be used to launder money and evade sanctions. Griffith also made the trip, via China, despite being denied permission by the U.S. State Department.
Griffith, who lives in Singapore, faces up to 20 years in prison from the prosector’s charges for violating sanction-related rules. He was arrested last week at the Los Angeles International Airport.
