SlowMist analysts have expressed apprehensions regarding a potential "soft rug pull" incident occurring on March 10, wherein a 100 Ether transaction originating from an AssangeDAO address was directed to a recipient seemingly affiliated with the decentralized autonomous organization.

The blockchain forensics firm underscored the ambiguity surrounding AssangeDAO's true motives, advising investors to exercise caution and conduct thorough due diligence before engaging with the organization.

Established in 2022, AssangeDAO gained prominence for its advocacy on behalf of Julian Assange, an Australian activist renowned for founding WikiLeaks, a platform dedicated to disclosing classified information from undisclosed sources.

Following a pivotal 2021 high court ruling in the United Kingdom concerning Assange's extradition, supporters established AssangeDAO to champion his freedom.

The initiative garnered over $53 million in cryptocurrency donations, including a significant contribution from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

AssangeDAO aims to utilize the funds to bid on a unique nonfungible token (NFT) from a collection titled "Censored" by digital artist Pak in collaboration with Assange.

The proceeds from the NFT sale are intended to bolster Assange's defense fund and support additional advocacy campaigns as he contests extradition to the United States.

With $53.7 million raised, AssangeDAO claimed the title of the largest sum ever raised by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) utilizing the community funding platform Juicebox, surpassing the renowned ConstitutionDAO, which garnered $49 million from the community in late 2021 to bid on a first edition print copy of the United States Constitution.

However, through collaborative analysis conducted by SlowMist and RescuETH, it was discovered that AssangeDAO began transferring the majority of its funds to multiple addresses, including several linked to cryptocurrency exchanges such as Kraken and Coinbase, starting in 2022.

Moreover, the group transferred over 1,000 Ether to various unidentified smart contracts, dispersing the funds among numerous addresses. At the time of publication, AssangeDAO had not issued any public statements regarding these transfers.

SlowMist analysts emphasized the necessity of transparency in DAO operations, citing the recent transfers as cause for concern, particularly regarding the ultimate destination of the funds.

On November 8, 2023, AssangeDAO announced that 16 members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to dismiss the "dangerous and unprecedented charges" against Assange.

On March 26, Assange was granted permission by a U.K. court to appeal his extradition to the United States.