According to Cointelegraph, Julian Assange’s family members took the stage at the Plan B Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, to discuss the extensive efforts behind fighting his extradition to the United States and securing his freedom. The campaign, which spanned 14 years, incurred costs exceeding $30 million.
The panel featured Julian’s wife, Stella Assange, his father, John Shipton, and his half-brother, Gabriel Shipton. Gabriel elaborated on the significant financial resources required for the campaign, stating, 'We're looking at upwards of $30 million, just across campaign costs, campaigning fees, legal fees. It was a global campaign with tens of thousands of individual donations and larger donations from some very wealthy Bitcoiners.' He also highlighted the role of the decentralized autonomous organization AssangeDAO, which included 10,000 individual members who contributed to the cause.
The financial burden of securing Assange’s release was previously disclosed by AssangeDAO member Silke Noa, who revealed that the DAO spent $37 million on legal fees and awareness campaigns. In June 2024, Bitcoiners once again supported Assange following his release from custody. Prohibited from boarding commercial flights, Assange had to charter a private plane from the United Kingdom to Australia, costing $520,000. An anonymous Bitcoiner donated more than eight Bitcoin (BTC), valued at $520,000 at the time, to cover these travel expenses.
Crypto assets have played a crucial role for WikiLeaks since 2010, when former United States President Barack Obama declared the organization’s reporting illegal. Following this declaration, the US State Department directed payment processing companies and financial institutions to cease providing services to WikiLeaks, aiming to shut down the whistleblower outlet.
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