Thomas Daniels
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has reiterated his support for Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm amid their legal battles. On May 8, Buterin donated 30 ETH, valued at approximately $113,000, to the Juicebox campaign ‘Free Alexey & Roman,’ underscoring his commitment to their cause.
Pertsev and Storm face accusations of money laundering through their work on Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer designed to enhance transaction privacy. Buterin has been a vocal advocate for the developers, expressing his disappointment over Pertsev’s 64-month prison sentence. At DappCon in Berlin, Buterin described the sentence as “really unfortunate” and emphasized that developing privacy-focused software should be “a totally legal and legit way to fight for privacy.”
Despite the Dutch court ruling against Pertsev, Buterin remains hopeful for a favorable outcome in Storm’s upcoming trial in the United States. He believes privacy-centric tools are crucial not only for protecting individuals but also for advancing legitimate privacy rights. Buterin has consistently championed privacy-enhancing solutions such as Railgun and 0xbow, advocating for their development and legal recognition.
The Tornado Cash case has broader implications, attracting support from notable figures like Edward Snowden. The former NSA whistleblower has publicly backed the fundraiser, calling the case against Tornado Cash “deeply illiberal and profoundly authoritarian.” Snowden’s sentiments align with Buterin’s assertion that “privacy is not a crime.”
Following Buterin’s donation, the campaign saw numerous smaller contributions in ETH, with donors expressing hopes for justice. To date, the ‘Free Alexey & Roman’ campaign has amassed 559.81 ETH, approximately $2 million, reflecting widespread support for the developers and the principle of privacy in the digital age.
