An Anonymous Bitcoin Whale Donates More Than 8 BTC to Cover Julian Assange’s Debts
Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, is finally free after a 14-year battle against extradition to the United States. An anonymous Bitcoin whale significantly contributed to this freedom by donating 8 BTC, worth nearly $500,000, to help Assange’s family pay off the debts related to his travel expenses.
A Financial Aid from a Bitcoin Whale
On June 24, Assange was released from the high-security Belmarsh prison in the UK after reaching a plea agreement with US authorities. Shortly after his release, he left the UK on a private jet from a London airport to Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory.
Stella Assange, Julian Assange’s wife, stated in an interview that “freedom comes at a cost.” Assange had to pay $520,000 to the Australian government for the forced VJ199 charter flight to Saipan and Australia. Commercial flights would not have been permitted for him.
A Crowdfunding Campaign
Stella Assange launched a crowdfunding page to help pay Julian’s debts after his return to Australia. The donation link was shared by Stella on June 25, and within 10 hours, an anonymous Bitcoin whale contributed over 8 BTC to the fund, nearly reaching the $520,000 goal. So far, Assange has also received over 300,000 pounds (approximately $380,000) in fiat donations.
Assange Pleads Guilty and Is Released
On June 26, Julian Assange appeared before a district court in Saipan, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the US Espionage Act by divulging classified documents. Judge Ramona Manglona sentenced him to five years and two months in prison, a sentence he has already served in the UK while fighting his extradition. As a result, he left the court a free man.
Assange then took a private flight and arrived in Canberra, Australia. His path to freedom was greatly facilitated by the generous donation from the Bitcoin whale, allowing Assange to return home debt-free.
Julian Assange argued that the Espionage Act, under which he was charged, conflicted with the First Amendment rights of the US Constitution. However, he acknowledged that encouraging sources to provide classified information for publication could be illegal. As part of the plea agreement, he was also required to destroy all classified information provided to WikiLeaks.
This conclusion marks the end of a lengthy and complex legal saga for Julian Assange, which has garnered global attention and sparked debates on press freedom and human rights.
