Cryptocurrency Expert Charged With Aiding North Korea

The U.S. arrested an Ethereum Foundation cryptocurrency scientist and charged him with helping North Korea use blockchain technology “to evade sanctions and launder money.”

Virgil Griffith, 36, was arrested Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport and charged with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un, according to a statement from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. Griffith, a U.S. citizen who lives in Singapore, attended a blockchain and cryptocurrency conference in Pyongyang in April, despite specific State Department warnings.

“As alleged, Virgil Griffith provided highly technical information to North Korea, knowing that this information could ...