Skip to content

Anonymous $500k in Bitcoin paid to secure Julian Assange’s freedom

Anonymous $500k in Bitcoin paid to secure Julian Assange's freedom

After news broke out that Julian Assange, the former editor-in-chief of Wikileaks, who had been in a British prison for the last five years, is going free after a plea deal that saw his sentence commuted to time served, donations have been pouring left and right, including in Bitcoin (BTC), for his return home.

Specifically, Assange, an Australian citizen who had been fighting extradition to the United States on 18 charges regarding the publication of a massive amount of classified documents, currently owes the government of Australia a staggering $520,000 for the charter flight to Saipan and onward to his homeland.

Therefore, Assange’s family has pled with the public for funds to cover these expenses and to support his recovery after spending time in the British prison upon a deal that didn’t fully pardon him and has set up a cryptocurrency donation address for this purpose.

Not long after this, someone paid an amount of more than eight Bitcoin to the crypto wallet in a single donation, worth nearly $490,000 at current prices, which should cover a large part of the costs for his retrieval, according to the transaction data shared by Bitcoin Archive in an X post on June 26.

Bitcoin donation to Julian Assange. Source: Bitcoin Archive
Bitcoin donation to Julian Assange. Source: Bitcoin Archive

Rise in crypto donations

Evidently, as the crypto sector continues to grow and evolve, it has become increasingly popular in the mainstream, including when donating to different causes. One example is political campaigns, such as the one of the former President and current presidential hopeful, Donald Trump.

As a reminder, aside from publicly voicing his support for the maiden crypto asset during an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Trump announced he would begin accepting contributions in the form of Bitcoin and other digital assets for his campaign, as Finbold reported on May 9.

Reportedly, this move sent the campaign team of his political opponent, the incumbent US President Joe Biden, into panic mode, leading it to sent a fundraising text to donors, warning them that “cryptocurrency executives and oil barons are coming out of the woodwork for Trump.”

More recently, Biden’s administration has made a surprising turn in tone towards the industry, as reports have appeared that his team has started approaching key participants in the crypto community, seeking their insights and advice on policy formulation going forward.

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

  • Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

  • 0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

  • Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

  • eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users
Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finbold.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD

Read Next:

Finance Digest

By subscribing you agree with Finbold T&C’s & Privacy Policy

Related posts

Sign Up

or

By submitting my information, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Already have an account? Sign In

Services

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Finbold is a news and information website. This Site may contain sponsored content, advertisements, and third-party materials, for which Finbold expressly disclaims any liability.

RISK WARNING: Cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. (Click here to learn more about cryptocurrency risks.)

By accessing this Site, you acknowledge that you understand these risks and that Finbold bears no responsibility for any losses, damages, or consequences resulting from your use of the Site or reliance on its content. Click here to learn more.