In the cryptocurrency community and in blockchain, code is the law. However, recently an Ethereum researcher was working with North Korea, a totalitarian dictatorship. The official name of the country is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is famous for poverty, human rights violations, nuclear weapons development and has a poor reputation around the world. The United States and a number of other countries have enforced sanctions against North Korea as a way to oppose the country’s politics.

A cryptocurrency scientist that worked on Ethereum was recently charged with facilitating the government of North Korea to avoid paying taxes with blockchain and crypto coins. Geoffrey Berman, a United States Attorney, stated that the researcher allegedly supplied North Korea with technical information with the knowledge that the country could utilize this information in order to dodge sanctions as well as launder money. Thus, he endangered the sanctions put in place by Congress and the President in order to pressure the North Korean government.

The research scientist had allegedly traveled to North Korea and attended a conference on the blockchain technology and crypto coins. He did this despite the United States Department of State denying him permission to do so. The researcher got a Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology and had supposedly taught the audience during the conference how to use blockchain to avoid paying taxes. During the event, other guests talked about how smart contracts can be utilized for the benefit of the DPRK.

After the researcher’s arrest, an entrepreneur came out saying that he accompanied the researcher to North Korea. He stated that the scientist was misrepresented and his words were misused.

 

Ethereum and smart contracts are truly changing the world nowadays. To find out more about Ethereum & its price, have a look at Ethereum Price updates and Ethereum Price Predictions to be in charge of the potential price shifts.