By Susie Violet Ward · Forbes · 20 February 2024
Edward Snowden, who received asylum in Russia after revealing NSA surveillance practices, described bitcoin in a tweet as the “most significant monetary advance since the creation of coinage.” The article sets his support for bitcoin alongside the case of Julian Assange, whose supporters in London were campaigning for his release from Belmarsh Prison, with his wife, Stella Assange, as a leading advocate.
At the time, Assange faced a hearing on 20 and 21 February 2024, described as possibly his final chance to avoid extradition to the US and a potential 175-year sentence. The article outlines criticism that the Espionage Act, under which both men faced charges, limits a public-interest defence. It links their cases to digital privacy, government surveillance and financial autonomy, and notes the US approval of spot bitcoin ETFs in January 2024.