Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith will be released from custody pending a court decision

A judge rules that the US Department of Justice has enough evidence to move the case againstEthereum developer Virgil Griffith to court. CoinDesk writes about this.

Griffith, arrested in Los Angeles onThanksgiving and accused of conspiring with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) against the United States, on Monday attended a preliminary hearing.

On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern Districtof New York announced that Griffith was charged with "violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act while traveling to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) to give a presentation on the use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to avoid sanctions."

Thus, earlier Griffith, without receiving US permission totrip to North Korea, gave a presentation entitled “Blockchain and the World.” Moreover, Griffith subsequently “began developing plans to promote strengthening the DPRK’s relationship with South Korea.”

After a hearing on Monday, defendant's lawyer Brian Klein said the developer would be temporarily released from custody.

He added:

We are pleased that today the judge ordered that Virgil be released from prison pending trial. We are contesting the charges and Virgil is looking forward to his trial.

Klein represented a number of famous people in the world of cryptocurrencies and cybersecurity, including crypto entrepreneur Charlie Shrem and Marcus Hutchins.

Klein had previously won a dispute with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who sued Shrem in November 2018, claiming he owed them $ 26 million in BTC.