WikiScanner, a tool released on August 14, 2007, allowed users to trace anonymous Wikipedia edits back to the originating IP addresses of corporations and organizations. Created by Virgil Griffith, the software aimed to expose the entities behind specific revisions, marking a notable early contribution in his career as a programmer.
Early Education and Academic Work
Born in 1983 in Birmingham, Alabama, Griffith grew up in Tuscaloosa. He graduated from the Alabama School of Math and Science in 2002. His academic path included studies at the University of Alabama, where he graduated cum laude in August 2007, and Indiana University. In 2014, he earned a Ph.D. in computation and neural systems from the California Institute of Technology under Christof Koch. Earlier, in 2008, he held a position as a visiting researcher at the Santa Fe Institute. His research output includes papers on artificial life, integrated information theory, and phishing countermeasures.
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Griffith frequently participated in hacker conferences such as Interz0ne, PhreakNIC, and HOPE. In 2002, he collaborated with Billy Hoffman to analyze security vulnerabilities in the campus magnetic ID system known as BuzzCard. This research resulted in a legal dispute with Blackboard Inc. that concluded with a settlement in 2003. In 2008, he co-designed the Tor2web proxy alongside Aaron Swartz, though he was later removed from the Tor team in 2016 for attempting to sell de-anonymized traffic data.
Involvement with Ethereum and North Korea
Joining the Ethereum Foundation as a research scientist in 2016, Griffith focused on cooperative game theory. In mid-2018, he traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea, to attend a blockchain conference, despite being denied official validation from the U.S. State Department. The event involved improvised presentations at the Sci-Tech Complex. Upon his return, the FBI arrested Griffith on November 28, 2019, alleging he provided technical information to help the state evade economic sanctions.
Legal Proceedings and Imprisonment
On September 28, 2021, Griffith entered a guilty plea regarding his actions in North Korea. On April 12, 2022, a court sentenced him to 63 months in prison. He served time at FCI Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania and FCI Milan in Michigan. Following his incarceration, he was released from federal custody on April 9, 2025.
Fast facts
- Born: 1983, Birmingham
- Citizenship: United States
- Ph.D.: California Institute of Technology, 2014
- Key Software: WikiScanner, Tor2web
- Former Employer: Ethereum Foundation
- Arrest Date: November 28, 2019
- Prison Release Date: April 9, 2025
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of WikiScanner?
It tracked Wikipedia edits from unregistered accounts to identify the organizations or corporations responsible for those changes.
Why was Virgil Griffith imprisoned?
He pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. laws by assisting North Korea in using cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions.
Achievements
- Held posts at Santa Fe Institute and Ethereum
