Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Donates to Legal Defense of Tornado Cash Developers

As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen interest in the Ethereum ecosystem, I’ve been closely following the developments surrounding Tornado Cash and its developers, Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm. Vitalik Buterin’s recent donation of 30 ETH to their legal defense fund comes as no surprise to me, given his long-standing support for user privacy in the blockchain space.


As a cryptocurrency analyst, I’ve closely followed the developments surrounding Tornado Cash, the controversial cryptocurrency mixing service. Recently, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has publicly expressed his support for the legal defense of two developers connected to this project. By voicing his backing, Buterin is making it clear that he believes in their right to a fair trial and due process.

Based on a transaction recorded on Etherscan, Vitalik Buterin contributed 30 Ether (roughly equivalent to $113,000 at the current exchange rate) to the Juicebox fundraiser named “Free Alexey & Roman.”

The “Free Alexey & Roman” initiative seeks to collect funds for the defense of Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, creators of the privacy-focused cryptocurrency tumbler Tornado Cash. So far, this campaign has garnered 592.45 ETH (around $2.2 million) in donations to cover their legal expenses.

I, as an analyst, would rephrase it as follows: In August 2022, I observed that Dutch law enforcement agencies took Pertsev into custody, alleging that he had played a role in enabling money laundering activities via Tornado Cash. Similarly, there are accusations against an individual named Storm, involving the same issue.

As a researcher studying the blockchain community, I’ve observed that Buterin has previously shown his backing for Pertsev and Storm. Recently, I’ve come across an instance where Buterin publicly voiced his disappointment over the Dutch court’s ruling to imprison Pertsev for 64 months, expressing it as “really unfortunate.”

Tornado.cash is a platform designed for mixing cryptocurrencies, enabling users to disguise the source of their digital funds. Its supporters maintain that this functionality safeguards user privacy. However, detractors contend that it provides an avenue for money laundering activities by criminals.

Buterin’s contribution bumps up the “Free Alexey & Roman” campaign’s total funds raised to around $2.2 million (592.45 ETH). The legal proceedings for Pertsev and Storm are still underway, with the Dutch court yet to make a final decision on their cases.

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2024-05-30 13:25