Julian Assange Saved by Cryptocurrency: His Brother's Tale
Date: 2024-07-02 Author: Oliver Abernathy Categories: IN WORLD
After Julian Assange pleaded guilty to violating the US Espionage Act, his brother Gabriel Shipton expressed gratitude to the crypto community for financial support, which, according to him, saved the life of the WikiLeaks founder.
Role of AssangeDAO in the Assange Defense
In early 2024, AssangeDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization, raised approximately $53 million in Ethereum (ETH) cryptocurrency. These funds were used to purchase a symbolic NFT, with proceeds from its sale going to the Wau Holland Stiftung Foundation to cover legal fees and other expenses associated with the campaign for Assange's freedom.
Gabriel Shipton noted that such generosity from the crypto community came as a surprise and gave Assange the opportunity to fight the US government’s charges.
Significance of Donations
Shipton emphasized that cryptocurrency donations not only provided adequate legal protection, but also generated political momentum for Assange's release. The funds helped finance social media advertising campaigns and numerous trips that members of Assange's family, including Shipton himself, made to lobby politicians in Australia and the United States.
Assange's family recently received a Bitcoin donation of approximately $500,000 to help cover final travel and recovery costs following his guilty plea. This highlights the continued support of the crypto community and its important role in Assange's fate.
History of WikiLeaks and Cryptocurrency
The connection between WikiLeaks and cryptocurrency dates back to 2010, when Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto asked WikiLeaks not to accept BTC for fear of attracting government attention to cryptocurrency. However, after WikiLeaks was blacklisted from traditional payment methods, the organization began accepting BTC, providing one of the first reliable cryptocurrency use cases.
According to Gabriel Shipton, the connection between Assange and cryptocurrency is not accidental. For many people and technologists, Assange has become a symbol of freedom, using encryption technology and Internet architecture to disseminate truthful information. Reunited with his family in Australia, Assange has finally found some relief after years of persecution.
