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US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

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Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#141

Post by qbasic_forever »

istjohn wrote: post #105
chatmasta wrote: post #48

I met Virgil at an academic workshop back in 2014. We went out in Amsterdam. He was a weird guy, to say the least (he’d probably be the first to agree). He was generally quite affable and obviously highly intelligent. He’s an idiot for this fiasco. But it’s also sad to see him in jail; I don’t see how this benefits society in any way. Five years in prison seems like a disproportionate punishment for an arguably victi…

Personally, I support imprisoning anyone who helps subvert sanctions against a despotic state pursuing nuclear weapons.

Looking forward to see how you'll imprison the German government for continuing to purchase oil from Russia through shell companies like Gazprombank.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#142

Post by wnevets »

tommek4077 wrote: post #117
wnevets wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the title is incredibly misleading?

I've read it as a time reference. He got trialed after the conference.

there are certainly others commenting on this post who didn't read that way. They're posting as if he was literally sent to prison for just talking about crypto.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#143

Post by bhelkey »

tommek4077 wrote: post #117
wnevets wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the title is incredibly misleading?

I've read it as a time reference. He got trialed after the conference.

I think the title implies a causal relationship between the two events.

Edit: In this thread:

> I wonder how the arrest went down, why he took a plea, what the details of his presentation were

>What if he did the exact same presentation in youtube, and in NK they saw that presentation?

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#144

Post by nickysielicki »

jvanderbot wrote: post #111
nickysielicki wrote: post #85

The founders of this country are rolling in their graves. Every part of this story. All he did was go to another country and spread truthful information. > "The most important feature of blockchains is that they are open. And the DPRK can't be kept out no matter what the USA or the UN says," This is conspiracy ? Is telling someone that a gun can kill now considered conspiracy to murder, too? Is it really the stance o…

I think you're over-reacting. Stories like this tend to be rorschach tests, and it's easy to see what you believe in these vague details. In fact, it appears he was helping NK avoid sanctions by using crypto, in an effort to increase crypto acceptance in NK. The details are (apparently) in the original complaint. Bad journalism/summaries strike again? > It looks like it wasn't just speaking at a conference after bein…

Well you’ll have to forgive me because TFA mentioned none of that.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#145

Post by relativeadv »

qbasic_forever wrote: post #141
istjohn wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, I support imprisoning anyone who helps subvert sanctions against a despotic state pursuing nuclear weapons.

Looking forward to see how you'll imprison the German government for continuing to purchase oil from Russia through shell companies like Gazprombank.

lol, this comment is too much.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#146

Post by beaconstudios »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #90
pen2l wrote: post #20

Did his PhD at Caltech under Christof Koch in computation and neural systems, was a super talented mathematician... and then he gets involved in crypto. I remember conversations with friends only a few years ago in which we would lament how young brilliant minds were eventually going on to work on adtech, and we would sigh and hope that the tide would turn. Boy, we were not prepared for this tide. Anyway, the NYSD re…

Sounds like he simply didn't support the sanctions and doesn't believe in blind obedience to US law.

There are sanctions that are worthy of criticism - the decades-long sanction on Cuba, for instance, even though I disagree with their regime - but North Korea is pretty transparently a despotic regime that should be opposed.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#147

Post by jokethrowaway »

pen2l wrote: post #20

Did his PhD at Caltech under Christof Koch in computation and neural systems, was a super talented mathematician... and then he gets involved in crypto. I remember conversations with friends only a few years ago in which we would lament how young brilliant minds were eventually going on to work on adtech, and we would sigh and hope that the tide would turn. Boy, we were not prepared for this tide. Anyway, the NYSD re…

The sad thing is that smart people are going to crypto because there is easy money to be made and not because they support decentralisation and fighting the government

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#149

Post by paulwooden »

spamizbad wrote: post #15

Not surprised: it seems a common theme with crypto evangelists is the application of the blockchain to avoid sanctions. I don't think its deeply ideological (as in anti-America/Pro-NK) - it's more like they view US financial hegemony as a "competitor" to blockchain technology and a hinderance to global cryptocurrency adoption. Why he would throw his life away like this seems silly. I don't see the point in taking pay…

He likely decided to give the speech in person so that he could spend time in North Korea and develop relationships with government officials for the purpose of future (illegal) business.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#150

Post by starwind »

chatmasta wrote: post #48

I met Virgil at an academic workshop back in 2014. We went out in Amsterdam. He was a weird guy, to say the least (he’d probably be the first to agree). He was generally quite affable and obviously highly intelligent. He’s an idiot for this fiasco. But it’s also sad to see him in jail; I don’t see how this benefits society in any way. Five years in prison seems like a disproportionate punishment for an arguably victi…

> I don’t see how this benefits society in any way.

It sends a message to those would otherwise help North Korea (or Russia or Iran) of "don't violate sanctions."

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