The co-founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has received a donation of more than 8 BTC, worth around $500,000 to help settle debt.
Assange’s release from prison comes after fighting for over a decade against being extradited to the United States. He is now receiving support from the cryptocurrency community, which has resisted government censorship.
Bitcoiner Donates Over $500K BTC
An Anonymous Bitcoiner has sent Assange $500,000 worth of Bitcoin to assist his family in paying debuts incurred due to settlement and travel expenses.
The donation comes after Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, said in an interview that the WikiLeaks co-founder had accrued expenses during his freedom.
While stating that “freedom comes at a cost,” Stella noted that Assange needed to pay $520,000 to the Australian government for chartering flight VJ199 for traveling to Saipan and Australia.
To settle the debt, Stella started a crowdfunding page. She even shared a donation link on the social media platform X.
Around 10 hours after the post, a Bitcoiner, whose identity remains unknown, sent more than 8 Bitcoin to the fund.
The crowdfunding page shows Assange has received over 397,000 British pounds in fiat donations.
Julian Assange Released From A UK Prison
Assange was released from a Belmarsh prison in the UK after securing a plea deal with authorities in the United States. After his release, he boarded a private plane from London to Saipan in the United States.
The WikiLeaks co-founder was presented in a district court on June 26. He pled guilty to breaching the US Espionage Act after leaking documents deemed classified by the state.
Assange went to a court in Saipan to prevent him from stepping on American soil. He was sentenced to the time already served in the UK prison before being set free to return to his family in Australia.
Assange faced charges from the US government over the disclosure of classified files in 2010. The government said that the disclosure put the lives of people in danger.
During the hearing in Saipan, the WikiLeaks co-founder admitted to a felony conspiracy charge to secure and disclose information on national defense. He noted that he secured the classified information while working as a journalist.
However, he also noted that he believed that by securing such information, he would be protected under the First Amendment, which gives freedom to the press.
Assange will continue his work at WikiLeaks despite the recent sentencing. According to Assange’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, the work of the WikiLeaks platform would continue.
Assange will continue promoting the freedom of speech and government transparency.
The US Department of Justice has also said that after his sentencing, Assange is barred from returning to the United States without prior authorization. While speaking to Reuters, Stella noted they would seek a total pardon for Assange.
