An anonymous donor within the Bitcoin community has contributed 8 BTC, valued at approximately $500,000, to assist with the travel expenses of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as reported by Bitcoinist yesterday. This financial support facilitated Assange’s return journey via chartered flight, an option necessitated by his prohibition from commercial airline travel.
According to Stella Assange, his wife, the Australian government coordinated the logistics of this costly travel, which amounted to $520,000—a debt now owed by Assange. The source of this substantial BTC donation has ignited a flurry of speculation among crypto enthusiasts and observers alike.
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and polarizing figure in social media circles, emerged as a potential donor. Tate’s involvement was hinted at through his enigmatic reply—a gift box emoji—to a post about the donation on the social media platform X.
He had previously expressed elation over Assange’s release, stating, “Assange being free adds a burst of color to the grey hellscape of injustice currently plaguing the world. A stroke of bright blue sky. Maybe, everything will turn around.” However, the community has expressed skepticism about Tate’s actual involvement, with many urging him to authenticate his claim by signing a message with the private key associated with the donation address.
Adding another layer to the unfolding mystery, crypto researcher Iwan Rabbinstein posited that Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter and CEO of Block, Inc., might be the real philanthropist behind the scenes. Rabbinstein’s assertion is supported by a detailed analysis of social media posts and blockchain transaction timestamps.
He noted that Dorsey’s message of “safe passage through” for Assange was posted on X simultaneously with the blockchain timestamp of the 8.07173122 BTC transaction at 5:03 pm GMT-4. Rabbinstein added, “Also, Jack posted ‘safe passage through’ on NOSTR at 16:46. He then waited till transaction got confirmed on Bitcoin timechain and then posted ‘safe passage through’ on Twitter at 17:03.”
Dorsey is well-known for his advocacy of human rights and has a history of supporting political causes through technological means, making him a plausible candidate for the donation.
The generous donation to Assange has not only sparked discussions about the identity of the donor but also highlighted the deep-rooted support Assange has garnered within the Bitcoin community. Since WikiLeaks started accepting Bitcoin donations in 2011, Assange has been a vocal proponent of the cryptocurrency, which he believes could revolutionize more than just payment systems.
In a 2014 interview, Assange described Bitcoin as “the most interesting thing on the internet,” presciently predicting its myriad potential applications. This incident reflects the broader narrative of BTC as a tool for political and social empowerment.
WikiLeaks’ early adoption of Bitcoin was pivotal at a time when traditional financial institutions refused to process donations to the organization, due to its controversial activities. The Bitcoin community’s rally to support Assange underscores a shared ideological alignment on the principles of freedom of information and resistance against censorship.
At press time, BTC traded at $60,820.
Featured image from X, chart from TradingView.com
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