Julian Assange, the renowned advocate for free speech and founder of WikiLeaks, has forged significant ties with the Bitcoin community. Both Assange and WikiLeaks have reaped the benefits of Bitcoin’s distinctive features as a digital currency, along with the support of its dynamic community. Their pivotal role in elevating Bitcoin’s importance has fostered a reciprocal relationship that has been advantageous for both parties, aiding in their continued existence and advancement.
On the 25th of June, Assange’s protracted legal ordeal, spanning 14 years and including a five-year incarceration, came to an end. He secured his release by striking a deal with the U.S. authorities, wherein he conceded to a guilty plea to prevent extradition to the U.S., coupled with an acknowledgment of his time served in the U.K.
The Bitcoin community has been a staunch ally of WikiLeaks and Assange, sharing a common vision with them, as Joshua Bate, the founder of DeSciWorld and a key member of AssangeDAO, conveyed to Cointelegraph. He remarked, “Their intertwined nature poses a formidable threat to authoritarian regimes.” Bate holds that WikiLeaks champions the free exchange of information, while Bitcoin facilitates a freer exchange of value, making them both adversaries of censorship. Consequently, Assange has consistently received backing from the Bitcoin community throughout his legal confrontations.
A recent demonstration of this support was an anonymous Bitcoin donation of 8 BTC, which nearly covered Assange’s entire $520,000 debt accrued from his repatriation to Australia. With commercial airlines refusing him passage, Assange resorted to a private jet for his return. Stella, Assange’s wife, made an urgent appeal for donations to finance the flight. Shortly thereafter, the Bitcoin contribution enabled Assange to arrive in Australia without any debt.
Assange honored the request of Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, to refrain from using the cryptocurrency for donations, fearing it would draw too much attention to the nascent digital currency. Despite Nakamoto’s concerns that the association with WikiLeaks might attract premature scrutiny to Bitcoin, an article in PC World publicizing WikiLeaks’ potential acceptance of Bitcoin donations led to increased attention towards the cryptocurrency. Nakamoto, apprehensive about the impact on the network, distanced himself from the project soon after Bitcoin gained popularity.
Faced with financial duress and limited fundraising avenues, WikiLeaks, in June 2011, defied the financial embargo by establishing a Bitcoin address to accept donations. This move proved to be a pivotal decision for WikiLeaks’ survival.
Bitcoin’s inherent resistance to censorship proved vital for WikiLeaks, ensuring a steady flow of donations without the threat of government intervention. In its first week, the organization received 171 BTC, establishing a secure and enduring fundraising channel.
The decision to embrace Bitcoin donations turned out to be one of WikiLeaks’ most astute choices. While embroiled in legal battles, Assange paradoxically expressed gratitude towards the U.S. government for the financial blockade, acknowledging that it prompted WikiLeaks to adopt Bitcoin.
On October 14, 2017, Assange disclosed that WikiLeaks had benefited from a 50,000% return on their Bitcoin holdings, having received 4,000 BTC by that time. Subsequently, the 2017 bull market propelled Bitcoin’s value to $20,000.
The question remains: Was the struggle worthwhile for Assange? His family and he have endured considerable hardships in their defense of free speech. Following WikiLeaks’ significant exposure, Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange on allegations of sexual misconduct in August 2010. Seeking refuge, Assange fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he remained confined for seven years. A change in Ecuador’s political landscape led to the revocation of his asylum, resulting in his arrest by U.K. authorities and a five-year sentence in the high-security Belmarsh Prison. Assange’s predicament continued with the looming possibility of extradition to the U.S., where he faced severe penalties.
Harry Halpin, CEO of Nym and member of AssangeDAO, shared with Cointelegraph his view that society may not have fully grasped the implications of Assange’s sacrifices. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that Assange’s efforts have brought issues such as war crimes and the suppression of truth to the forefront of public discourse.
Since his return to Australia, Assange has sought to maintain a low profile and cherish his privacy. Stella has stated that the WikiLeaks founder intends to “enjoy his freedom” for the time being and has called on journalists to challenge the U.S. government for transparency regarding her husband’s case. She highlighted that, as part of the plea agreement with U.S. authorities, Assange is prohibited from making freedom of information requests to the U.S. government. However, she emphasized that this power still resides with the public, urging them to hold U.S. authorities accountable for their actions.