Virgil Griffith's Sentence Shortened by 7 Months

This week, a judge reduced the prison sentence of Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith by seven months. Originally sentenced to 63 months in April 2022 for violating sanctions by traveling to North Korea, Griffith's sentence was reduced to 56 months after considering various challenges and disciplinary issues he faced in prison. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel acknowledged the reduced risk Griffith poses to the public, despite his rule violations while incarcerated. The legal proceedings began when Griffith pleaded guilty in 2021 to providing information that could help North Korea evade sanctions. While Griffith's lawyers argued for leniency, citing his lack of criminal history and the absence of financial harm caused, the government maintained that his actions were deliberate and dangerous. Nevertheless, the court decided on a slight reduction due to Griffith's hardships in custody.