Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has generously contributed to the legal defense of Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, who are currently facing legal challenges. Buterin committed to assisting developers by donating 50 Ether, worth around $170,000, to the JusticeDAO fund. This donation represents around 25% of the entire $650,000 now raised to fund their legal bills.
The Tornado Cash developers’ legal troubles began in 2022, when Dutch authorities detained Alexey Pertsev and charged him with money laundering for his involvement in the cryptocurrency mixing business. In May 2024, the court sentenced Pertsev to over five years in prison, a decision he is currently appealing. Meanwhile, US officials have charged Roman Storm and colleague developer Roman Semenov with money laundering and other charges, with Storm scheduled to stand trial in April 2025.
The allegations originate from the US Treasury’s decision to penalize Tornado Cash in 2022, charging the platform with facilitating criminal operations, such as the laundering of over $7 billion in cryptocurrencies, some of which was tied to North Korean hackers. This move has provoked considerable condemnation from the cryptocurrency community, which sees the sanctions and criminal proceedings as an attack on decentralized technologies and freedom.
Buterin has previously demonstrated his support by contributing 100 ETH, worth around $240,000, in October 2024. His continuous donations reflect his dedication to the defense of developers, as well as his broader concerns about government overreach in the cryptocurrency field. Despite an appellate court finding that the US Treasury may have overstepped by sanctioning Tornado Cash’s smart contracts, criminal investigations against the creators continue.
This issue has sparked significant resentment in the crypto community, resulting in litigation challenging the punishments. Meanwhile, despite increased regulatory demands, Buterin remains an advocate for the values of decentralization and free expression.
