- Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was freed from a UK prison this week after a lengthy imprisonment.
- Throughout his legal uncertainties, Assange relied heavily on cryptocurrency to gather global financial support.
- A resurfaced video reveals Assange’s early endorsement of cryptocurrencies as vital mechanisms for freedom.
Julian Assange emerges from a UK prison while reaffirming his faith in the transformative power of cryptocurrencies, which he believes safeguard global freedom of speech and resist autocratic control.
Julian Assange on Bitcoin’s Significance
In a resurfaced video from 2014, shared by MicroStrategy’s executive chairman Michael Saylor, Julian Assange acclaimed Bitcoin as the “most intriguing intellectual development on the internet” since its creation in 2009.
“Many people who have heard of Bitcoin don’t fully grasp it,” he remarked. “It is a cryptographically-backed, multi-jurisdictional currency, making it difficult for any single power entity to turn into a rent-seeking apparatus.”
Years later, Bitcoin has been adopted by nations such as El Salvador and platforms like Strike to facilitate fast, low-cost global remittances. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies have played crucial roles in funding worldwide humanitarian efforts, such as Ukraine’s defense initiatives against Russia and aid for Israeli victims affected by Hamas.
However, Assange believes that Bitcoin’s core strength lies in offering robust defense mechanisms to its users against even the most powerful governments.
Bitcoin Challenging Orwell’s Ideals
“Another fundamental technology is proof of publication,” Assange explained. He suggested that Bitcoin’s immutable blockchain ledger can challenge Orwell’s dictum that “he who controls the present controls the past.”
Bitcoin has been employed as a workaround to circumvent sanctions imposed by governments, proving its significance in various scenarios. For instance, during the 2022 Canadian Trucker convoy protests over vaccine mandates, Bitcoin was used to raise funds after traditional platforms like GoFundMe blocked donations.
Assange also turned to cryptocurrency for financial support during his imprisonment in the UK, amassing over $54 million in ETH through AssangeDAO.
“This fundamental premise of verifying a specific contract’s occurrence at a particular time on a global scale will drive Bitcoin’s next significant evolution,” Assange concluded.
Conclusion
Julian Assange’s release marks a victory for free speech advocates and spotlights the transformative potential of cryptocurrencies. As Bitcoin continues to assert itself as a tool against governmental overreach and a means for global humanitarian aid, its relevance and utility appear poised to expand further. Assange’s vision of a free, decentralized financial system, bolstered by the blockchain, remains a powerful testament to Bitcoin’s role in shaping a transparent and equitable world.
