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> Griffith was arrested and charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in November 2019 after he travelled to No

> Griffith was arrested and charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in November 2019 after he travelled to North Korea to give a talk on blockchain and crypto. wow. that's all huh? just a talk

dnh44 5y ago
Yeah it seems ridiculous doesn't it. Getting thrown in jail for giving a talk doesn't seem like something that should happen anywhere that considers itself as free. It's outrageous really.
- bequanna 5y ago
  The line has to be drawn somewhere and I don’t believe anyone is so naive as to believe this was “just a talk”. Would you allow a “talk” instructing North Koreans on how to better leverage ransomware to extort money from municipalities? Save the fake outrage for a real injustice, because there are plenty of those.
adflux 5y ago
Do include the next part aswell: "Griffith was denied permission to travel to North Korea by the State Department but decided to attend the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference anyway."
- dnh44 5y ago
  It's not okay that he should need permission for such a thing I don't think.
  - kvgr 5y ago
    Yeah, Dennis Rodman had no problem to travel there... but he probably doesn't know much that can help NK agents to break into crypto infrastructure.
  - satori99 5y ago
    Sanctions would be pretty pointless if anyone could just go and offer goods and services to a sanctioned country regardless. It may have just been a talk, but a talk is a service, and he knew it was a serious federal crime. If he planned to rely on the "It was all public information anyway" argument, he is a fool.
- invalidusernam3 5y ago
  Sure, but up to 20 years in prison for that seems absolutely insane
  - ethanbond 5y ago
    Collaborating with a rival state that threatens our allies with nuclear weapons on a monthly basis and brutalizes its own citizens on a daily one?
  - tgv 5y ago
    NK is known to obtain foreign currency via cryptocoins. And they need it to pay for developing rockets and atomic weapons. If they ever hit a city in Japan or the US, 20 years would be absolutely mild.
    - cheaprentalyeti 5y ago
      >NK is known to obtain foreign currency via cryptocoins. And they need it to pay for developing rockets and atomic weapons. If they ever hit a city in Japan or the US, 20 years would be absolutely mild. Interesting. Now do everyone in the last thirty years who helped create the situation where North Korea has nuclear weapons. Starting with Jimmy Carter.
  - Cthulhu_ 5y ago
    He willingly violated international sanctions against NK. Just traveling there already takes a huge amount of preparation and intent - to the point where he was likely interrogated before leaving the US as to why he's traveling to NK. If you sold weapons to terrorists you'd be facing similar charges.
    - not1ofU 5y ago
      NSO group has left the chat
tdrgabi 5y ago
> "During and after the conference, Griffith was alleged to have discussed means through which North Korea could use cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions."
Cthulhu_ 5y ago
On finances, in a country that is financially sanctioned by half the world.
lionhead 5y ago
As a Korean citizen, I am not even allowed to cross the border to the north, yet alone give a talk.

dnh44 5y ago

Yeah it seems ridiculous doesn't it. Getting thrown in jail for giving a talk doesn't seem like something that should happen anywhere that considers itself as free. It's outrageous really.

bequanna 5y ago
The line has to be drawn somewhere and I don’t believe anyone is so naive as to believe this was “just a talk”. Would you allow a “talk” instructing North Koreans on how to better leverage ransomware to extort money from municipalities? Save the fake outrage for a real injustice, because there are plenty of those.

adflux 5y ago

Do include the next part aswell: "Griffith was denied permission to travel to North Korea by the State Department but decided to attend the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference anyway."

dnh44 5y ago
It's not okay that he should need permission for such a thing I don't think.
- kvgr 5y ago
  Yeah, Dennis Rodman had no problem to travel there... but he probably doesn't know much that can help NK agents to break into crypto infrastructure.
- satori99 5y ago
  Sanctions would be pretty pointless if anyone could just go and offer goods and services to a sanctioned country regardless. It may have just been a talk, but a talk is a service, and he knew it was a serious federal crime. If he planned to rely on the "It was all public information anyway" argument, he is a fool.
invalidusernam3 5y ago
Sure, but up to 20 years in prison for that seems absolutely insane
- ethanbond 5y ago
  Collaborating with a rival state that threatens our allies with nuclear weapons on a monthly basis and brutalizes its own citizens on a daily one?
- tgv 5y ago
  NK is known to obtain foreign currency via cryptocoins. And they need it to pay for developing rockets and atomic weapons. If they ever hit a city in Japan or the US, 20 years would be absolutely mild.
  - cheaprentalyeti 5y ago
    >NK is known to obtain foreign currency via cryptocoins. And they need it to pay for developing rockets and atomic weapons. If they ever hit a city in Japan or the US, 20 years would be absolutely mild. Interesting. Now do everyone in the last thirty years who helped create the situation where North Korea has nuclear weapons. Starting with Jimmy Carter.
- Cthulhu_ 5y ago
  He willingly violated international sanctions against NK. Just traveling there already takes a huge amount of preparation and intent - to the point where he was likely interrogated before leaving the US as to why he's traveling to NK. If you sold weapons to terrorists you'd be facing similar charges.
  - not1ofU 5y ago
    NSO group has left the chat

tdrgabi 5y ago

> "During and after the conference, Griffith was alleged to have discussed means through which North Korea could use cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions."

Cthulhu_ 5y ago

On finances, in a country that is financially sanctioned by half the world.

lionhead 5y ago

As a Korean citizen, I am not even allowed to cross the border to the north, yet alone give a talk.