In the cryptocurrency industry, a tug-of-war to defend technical freedom is quietly intensifying. Many in the crypto community are dissatisfied with the U.S. government's sanctions against the mixer Tornado Cash's smart contracts and the indictment of two developers on money laundering charges. In response, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stepped up and donated 50 ETH to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev.
The fundraising project 'Free Pertsev and Storm' on the decentralized crowdfunding platform Juicebox noted that Vitalik Buterin donated 50 ETH (approximately $170,000) to fund the legal defense costs for Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev.
So far, the project has raised a total of 531.12 ETH, worth approximately $1.76 million.
Image source: X
Tornado Cash, as a decentralized mixing platform, has always aimed to protect user privacy. However, since 2022, the platform has become a target for regulatory authorities in various countries. In August of that year, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed Tornado Cash on its sanctions list, accusing the platform of being exploited by North Korean hackers and other criminals for money laundering activities totaling $7 billion since 2019.
Subsequently, Dutch authorities arrested and prosecuted developer Alexey Pertsev, sentencing him to over 5 years in prison in May 2024, but he has appealed the verdict.
At the same time, U.S. prosecutors have charged another two developers, Roman Storm and Roman Semenov, with money laundering, violating sanctions, and fraud. Currently, Roman Storm has been released on bail and is set to stand trial on April 14, 2025, while Roman Semenov has not yet been apprehended.
The sanctions against Tornado Cash and the prosecution of its developers have triggered a strong backlash within the crypto community. Many supporters argue that this is not only an attack on privacy technology but could also undermine the foundations of open-source technology. Vitalik Buterin's actions are a response to such threats. As early as October 2024, he donated 100 ETH (approximately $240,000) to support Alexey Pertsev's defense.
Moreover, the U.S. Treasury's decisions are also facing legal challenges. Tornado Cash users, supported by the crypto advocacy organization Coin Center and Coinbase, have filed two lawsuits questioning whether the government has overstepped its authority.
In November 2024, a U.S. appeals court ruled that the Treasury's sanctions against Tornado Cash's smart contracts exceeded legal boundaries; however, this ruling has yet to materially affect the criminal cases against Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.
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'Defend User Privacy! Vitalik donates 50 ETH to support Tornado developers in their lawsuit' was first published in 'Crypto City.'
