Seriously? A crypto conference in North Korea? It happened in 2019, with 100 people in attendance. All the hacking and scamming concerns now makes more sense.
The main event
Three non-DPRK nationals allegedly helped plan the conference – a Brit, a Spaniard, and a US former Ethereum developer.
The US developer, Virgil Griffith, already plead guilty to conspiracy to violate US sanctions. He was sentenced to 63 months in jail. Apparently, there was evidence that he specifically educated the North Korean regime regarding tactics to evade sanctions and launder money.
Of note, approximately 10 attendees were not DPRK nationals. They were simply folks who seized the opportunity to “get a look inside” the notoriously closed-off country, a little crypto-tourism if you will.
One gentleman stated that it cost $4,400 for the week-long excursion, including two days for the conference. They were not permitted to speak directly to any North Korean citizens. This same man stated that the information provided was very basic, and that the conference itself was boring.
Perhaps this attendee slept through some parts. Somewhere along the way, North Korean hackers have learned enough to steal $1.7 billion dollars worth of crypto in 2022 alone. Their weapons program has certainly become more substantial in the same time frame.
The saga continues
The British citizen, Christopher Emms, was very recently detained in Moscow. He had been detained in Saudi Arabia for 8 months previously, as his request for extradition to the US was denied. In September 2022, he fled to Moscow immediately after being released by the Saudis.
