Ethereum (ETH) developer Virgil Griffith has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he conspired with North Korea to violate United States sanctions constabulary.

On Monday, Griffith pleaded guilty in New York to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economical Powers Human activity, which forbids U.S. citizens from exporting engineering and intellectual property to communist countries. Every bit role of the plea deal, Griffith could face up to 6-and-a-one-half years in prison. Formal sentencing is expected to commence in January 2022.

Virgil, who served as senior researcher for the Ethereum Foundation, was arrested in November 2022 later on attending a conference in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang earlier in the yr. Prosecutors criminate that the developer gave a presentation on how to launder money and evade sanctions using blockchain technology.

Griffith's plea deal came just every bit jury selection was set to begin in New York. Every bit The Wall Street Periodical reported, the trial was likely to touch on complex matters involving questions of complimentary voice communication and North korea'due south relations with the United States.

Announcer Ethan Lou, who claims to have been in North korea with Griffith when he gave the presentation, said it's unclear what sparked the developer's guilty plea. He explained:

"Unclear what new development caused this guilty plea. The paperwork was signed only yesterday. One possible reason is the disallowment of the remote testimony of an Ethereum Foundation lawyer."

Every bit Cointelegraph reported, Griffith'due south legal team attempted to dismiss the charges in October 2022, but the arguments put forward were firmly rejected by prosectors. At the time, lawyers representing the U.S. government chosen the arguments "unavailing."