Brother of Julian Assange Denies Claims of 'Soft Rug' Scam Linked to AssangeDAO
Summary:
In response to allegations of a potential "soft rug" scam made by cybersecurity firms SlowMist and RescuETH, Gabriel Shipton, the brother of Julian Assange, has defended AssangeDAO, stating the accusations are false. He points out that the over 16,500 Ether raised by AssangeDAO was used to buy an NFT, the proceeds of which were donated to the German charity Wau Holland Foundation. Some members of the DAO remain unhappy about the handling of funds and lack of community say in its decisions, despite Shipton's reassurances.
Gabriel Shipton, Julian Assange's brother, refuted claims made by cybersecurity companies SlowMist and RescuETH, labelling their report from April, which suggested AssangeDAO could be conducting a "soft rug" scam, as "totally false". They had flagged the decentralized autonomous group for purported "irregular" transaction actions and suspected it of progressively executing an exit swindle.
Communicating through Telegram, Gabriel insisted that SlowMist had muddled the identities of AssangeDAO and the Wau Holland Foundation. He highlighted that the raised 16,593 Ether (ETH) (an equivalent of $53 million) by AssangeDAO in 2022 is no longer in its possession, having been used to acquire the "Clock" non-fungible token (NFT) crafted by Pak, an artist from the "Censored" collection.
These funds were donated by Pak to the German charity Wau Holland Foundation after the NFT sale, hence, AssangeDAO does not control the funds. Gabriel clarified that these funds were specifically allocated towards advocating for and ensuring Julian Assange's liberty and protection.
Furthermore, Gabriel assured that the German charity has been dutifully allocating the funds to serve its intended purpose, abiding by all German laws. The foundation disburses these funds to cover Julian's legal and campaign expenses, standing by him and WikiLeaks as per their long-term relationship.
Assange is presently confined to a London prison, facing charges by the US for supposedly leaking classified files on WikiLeaks. His extradition hearings are due on July 9, while his supporters including AssangeDAO, argue his actions were in line with free speech laws, not criminal activities.
Blockchain records verify the purchase of the Clock NFT by AssangeDAO, an NFT that tracks Julian's jail duration, on Feb. 9, 2022, at 16,593 ETH. The proceeds of this sale that were sent to the address beginning in 0x5DA, no longer belong to the AssangeDAO.
Even though SlowMist, a blockchain security entity known for assisting exchange and protocol systems in tracking and retrieving stolen or laundered funds, was contacted for a statement, they didn’t respond by the time of reporting.
Julian's supporters set up AssangeDAO in 2022 to accumulate funds from investors for the purchase of the Clock NFT, in a model akin to the erstwhile ConstitutionDAO that attempted to garner resources to purchase the original draft of the U.S Constitution.
After accruing over $53 million in February 2022, it became the most financially backed DAO of history. However, issues arose when SlowMist and RescuETH released a report in April cautioning investors against interacting with AssangeDAO, citing ambiguous intentions and a lack of transparency.
Despite Gabriel's assurances, dissatisfaction lingers among a few AssangeDAO members due to the alleged procedural violations within the DAO. They believe the DAO acted against decentralization principles by extracting all funds without community consensus.
While DAOs were designed to enable investors to sync their moves across the internet, they have occasionally been platforms for heated disagreements among DAO members. Encouraging the values of computer security advocate Wau Holland, the Wau Holland Foundation gathers resources for Assange and other whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning, Jeremy Hammond, and Edward Snowden.
Published At
6/19/2024 4:00:00 PM
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