Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, was released from a UK prison after five years, bringing joy to free speech advocates. Assange has long used crypto to fundraise for his legal battles, and a recently resurfaced video shows him praising Bitcoin as a tool for freedom. In the video from September 2014, Assange calls Bitcoin the most interesting development on the internet since its inception in 2009.
Assange highlights Bitcoin’s cryptographic backing and multi-jurisdictional nature, making it difficult for any one group to control. This has made Bitcoin a valuable tool for global remittances, with countries like El Salvador and companies like Strike embracing cryptocurrency. Additionally, Bitcoin has enabled funding for global humanitarian movements like Ukraine’s defense against Russia and Israel’s support for victims of Hamas.
Assange believes that one of the most important qualities of Bitcoin is its ability to defend itself and its users against the might of superpowers. He praises Bitcoin’s blockchain technology for its ability to provide proof of publication at a specific time, which can break Orwell’s dictum of controlling the past. Bitcoin has been used to bypass national sanctions, as seen in the case of the Canadian Trucker convoy using it to raise funds during a protest against vaccine mandates.
Assange himself has turned to crypto for funding, raising over $54 million in ETH through AssangeDAO while he was jailed in the UK. He sees the potential for Bitcoin to expand based on its ability to prove contracts at a specific time globally. Overall, Assange believes that Bitcoin’s ability to resist control and censorship is key to its value as a tool for freedom and transparency.
In conclusion, Julian Assange’s support for Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and resistance to control has been reaffirmed through his advocacy for the cryptocurrency in fundraising campaigns and his own legal battles. Bitcoin’s ability to provide proof of publication at a specific time and resist the control of superpowers has made it a valuable resource for global movements and humanitarian causes. As the world continues to embrace crypto, Bitcoin’s role in promoting free speech and transparency will likely continue to expand.
