Key Points
- A single donation of 8.07 BTC, worth approximately $496,000, nearly covered Julian Assange’s emergency appeal goal for jet and recovery costs.
- The appeal received a total of 8.1 BTC and $376,000 in fiat donations, surpassing the goal.
An emergency appeal for Julian Assange’s jet and recovery costs received a significant boost from a single Bitcoin donation. The donation, which amounted to 8.07 Bitcoin (BTC), was equivalent to $496,000, almost meeting the appeal’s target of $520,000 within hours of its launch.
The Donation Page
The donation page offered multiple options for contributors, including fiat donations via Crowdfunder and GoFundMe, as well as cryptocurrency donations through Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dash, Zcash, Dogecoin, XRP, and Monero addresses. The 8.07 BTC donation was the most significant contribution, with other cryptocurrency donations being minimal.
The appeal also received $376,000 in fiat donations, comfortably exceeding the target. As a result, Assange could travel to Australia debt-free, thanks largely to a generous Bitcoin donor.
Assange’s Emergency Appeal
The Free Assange campaign and Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, initiated the emergency appeal. The appeal aimed to cover the costs of Assange’s charter flight to Australia and his recovery and well-being upon arrival. Assange, after 14 years of detention, including five years in a high-security prison, was in dire need of health recovery.
Assange’s case involved espionage accusations against the U.S. government following the publication of documents detailing alleged U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan on WikiLeaks. If found guilty, Assange could have faced a maximum sentence exceeding 170 years. However, he was released from the UK’s high-security Belmarsh prison after more than five years following a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Assange’s Return to Australia
Assange returned to Australia on Wednesday morning as a free man, ending his multi-year legal battle. The Australian Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the outcome of Assange’s case.
In related news, AssangeDAO’s token (JUSTICE) surged over 80% following Assange’s release from the UK prison. However, it has since fallen around 13% over the past 24 hours. AssangeDAO was formed earlier this year to raise funds for the WikiLeaks founder’s freedom. The organization has allocated over 11,000 Ethereum (ETH), equivalent to $37 million, for legal defense and advocacy from the 16,593 ETH raised since its inception.