SNEAK PEEK
- Vitalik Buterin’s recent 30 ETH donation underscores his unwavering support for privacy in crypto.
- The “Free Pertsev and Storm” fund, bolstered by Buterin, has amassed 591 ETH, signaling strong community backing.
- Legal challenges for Tornado Cash developers spotlight growing tensions between privacy tools and regulatory bodies.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has made headlines once again by donating 30 ETH, valued at approximately $113,000, to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm. This move underscores Buterin’s long standing advocacy for privacy tools in the cryptocurrency sphere.
According to Etherscan data, Buterin’s donation was made to the “Free Pertsev and Storm” defense fund via Juicebox, a decentralized fundraising platform. This fund, which has already raised 591 ETH (approximately $2.2 million), highlights the substantial backing from the crypto community for the developers’ legal battles.
Over the past year, Pertsev and Storm have encountered significant legal issues due to their involvement with Tornado Cash, a privacy-focused crypto mixer.
The challenges have intensified, with Pertsev recently sentenced to 64 months in prison by a Dutch court for laundering $1.2 billion through Tornado Cash between July 2019 and August 2022. He is currently appealing the judgment at the s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal in the Netherlands.
Similarly, Storm has been detained in the United States since 2023, with his trial scheduled for September. The legal troubles facing these developers have sparked widespread debate and concern within the crypto community about the future of privacy tools and regulatory overreach.
Buterin’s donation is a testament to the support Pertsev and Storm continue to receive. Notably, three blockchain advocacy groups recently filed amicus curiae briefs to defend Storm against criminal charges in the U.S., emphasizing their efforts to have the charges dismissed.
Further, U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden have voiced their opposition to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) attempts to expand the definition of money-transmitting businesses to include non-custodial crypto asset software services like Tornado Cash. They argue that such actions could hinder innovation and undermine the DOJ’s credibility in respecting the rule of law.
The crypto community’s support doesn’t end with donations. Various crypto projects, including Optimism, Aave, MakerDAO, YearnFi, Alchemix, and Uniswap, are actively discussing proposals to assist the developers. These discussions highlight a broader concern within the community about the potential implications of the legal actions against Tornado Cash and its developers.
Vitalik Buterin’s 30 ETH donation is more than a financial contribution; it’s a powerful statement of solidarity with the Tornado Cash developers. As the crypto community rallies behind Pertsev and Storm, the ongoing legal battles will likely shape the future landscape of privacy tools and regulatory measures in the blockchain space.