Ethereum Foundation Backs Tornado Cash Developer's Appeal with $1.25M

The Ethereum Foundation has pledged $1.25 million to support the legal defense of Alexey Pertsev, a developer at Tornado Cash, who is appealing his money laundering conviction in the Netherlands. The donation, announced on Feb. 26, comes as Pertsev prepares to challenge his five-year prison sentence.

In a statement, the Ethereum Foundation emphasized the importance of privacy and the right to write code without fear of criminal prosecution. "Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime," the foundation wrote on its X account.

Pertsev, who was arrested by Dutch authorities in August 2022, expressed gratitude for the donation, stating that it would allow him to fully focus on preparing his appeal. His attorney, Judith De Boer, highlighted the broader implications of the appeal, noting that it could set a precedent for the legal treatment of open-source contributors and privacy-preserving technologies.

The donation follows Pertsev's release from prison custody in early February, marking a significant development in his ongoing legal battle. In addition to his appeal, global authorities, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, have sanctioned Tornado Cash. However, the sanctions were overturned following the inauguration of the 47th U.S. president, Donald Trump, on Jan. 20.

This is not the first time Pertsev has received financial support from the Ethereum community. In December 2024, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donated 50 Ether (ETH) to support legal aid for Pertsev and Roman Storm, another Tornado Cash developer facing trial in the U.S. Crypto investment firm Paradigm also announced a $1.25 million donation to help fund Storm's legal defense in January.