Ethereum developer and early contributor Virgil Griffith has been granted early release from prison after serving nearly five years for violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea.

Griffith, 41, was arrested in 2019 following a controversial trip to North Korea, where he gave a presentation at a cryptocurrency conference in Pyongyang. U.S. prosecutors alleged that his talk, titled “Blockchain for Peace,” explained how the country could use crypto to evade sanctions and launder money.

Griffith pleaded guilty in 2021 to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and was sentenced to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine in 2022.

On July 16, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel reduced Griffith’s sentence to 56 months, effective August 2, citing his lack of prior criminal history and the hardships he endured while in custody. While acknowledging Griffith’s disciplinary infractions in prison, the judge noted that the threat he poses to the public has “somewhat dissipated.”

Griffith’s ‘curiosity’

Griffith’s legal team has long argued that his presentation contained publicly available information and that he was driven more by academic curiosity than criminal intent. One lawyer described the trip as the “culmination of Virgil’s unfortunate obsession with North Korea.”

A respected figure in Ethereum’s (ETH) early development and a key contributor to the Ethereum Name Service, Griffith’s case drew attention from both crypto advocates and national security circles. 

His release comes as North Korean-linked hacking groups like Lazarus continue to target crypto firms, stealing billions in digital assets over the past decade.

Griffith is currently held in a federal prison in Michigan and is expected to be released shortly after the August 2 order takes effect.