Anonymous Bitcoin Donation Eases Julian Assange’s Jet Debt

• The release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been the talk of the town.
• Julian Assange is accepting Bitcoin donations to cover his legal expenses.
• A substantial anonymous Bitcoin donation is helping alleviate the debt.

The past couple of hours have been marked by stories of Julian Assange’s release, who has recently regained freedom after nearly 12 years of legal battles and confinement. On June 24, 2024, Assange reached a settlement with the United States Justice Department, bringing his years-long legal ordeal to a close. However, the WikiLeaks founder’s freedom resulted in a major debt of approximately $520,000, prompting a campaign for funds.

In good fortune, a wave of support has emerged, and Assange may now be looking at a resolution to his financial woes.

Julian Assange’s Bitcoin Rescue

Contributing towards Julian Assange’s hefty price for freedom, on Wednesday, June 26, an anonymous donor made a major 8 BTC donation to the whistleblower’s campaign for funds. 

Worth approximately $487,424 at press time, the donation arrived within the first ten hours of Assange’s crowdfunding platform launch, covering approximately 94% of the needed funds. The donation also supplements an additional $380,000 already gathered on the platform so far.

Assange’s half-a-million-dollar debt stemmed primarily from his flight fees. According to his spouse, Assange was forbidden from flying on commercial airlines or using standard routes due to security and legal restrictions. As a result, the cost of arranging secure and authorized flights to the U.S. court in the Northern Mariana Islands and subsequently to Australia was exorbitant. 

To facilitate donations, the WikiLeak founder’s brother set up a BTCPay POS, allowing contributors to use on-chain and Lightning Network invoices. Well-wishers have also reportedly inquired about a Bitcoin address to channel their donations, to address earlier limitations of donation platforms.

Besides Bitcoin, Julian Assange’s donation page accepts contributions in other crypto assets including Ethereum (ETH) , XRP, BTC Cash, Dogecoin, among others.

On the Flipside

• At press time, Bitcoin is trading at $61,000.
• Julian Assange’s fund has yet to receive another major BTC donation.
•  Assange has been previously engaged with Bitcoin, starting by inscribing WikiLeaks war logs into the Bitcoin blockchain while he was in prison.

Why This Matters

The substantial 8 BTC donation to Julian Assange marks a significant reduction in his financial burden, paving the way for the complete settlement of his legal challenges. Additionally, it underscores the growing role of Bitcoin in providing alternative financial support outside traditional options.

Read more about Assange’s financial woes and recently regained freedom here:
Julian Assange Seeks Bitcoin Donations to Pay $520K Jet Debt

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