Former Ethereum developer, Virgil Griffith, was sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2022 for aiding North Korea with blockchain technology. Recently, his attorney, Glen Garrett McGorty, sent a letter to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York requesting a reduction in his sentence.

The lawyer argues that Griffith should qualify for a reduction under the newly implemented U.S. sentencing guidelines, which offer a two-point decrease for certain "zero-point" offenders. This adjustment could potentially reduce Griffith's total sentence from 63 to 51 months.

Furthermore, the defense has asked the court to instruct the U.S. Probation Office to prepare a new pre-sentence investigation report, set a date for a resentencing hearing, and allow time for the defense to present additional information and arguments for the reduction request.

Griffith was found guilty of violating sanctions laws for assisting North Korea with blockchain technology during a conference in the country. Additionally, in 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce imposed a ten-year export privilege ban on him, limiting his involvement in transactions governed by U.S. export regulations.