Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin recently made headlines for his generous donation of 100 ETH to Alexey Pertsev, a developer of Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer that was once sanctioned by the US government. The donation, totaling around $340,000, was aimed at helping Pertsev cover his legal fees.
Pertsev, a key figure in the development of Tornado Cash, found himself in legal trouble in May of 2024 when a Dutch court sentenced him to five years and four months in prison for allegedly laundering billions of dollars. The US government had previously banned the use of Tornado Cash in 2022 due to national security concerns. However, a US appeals court later overturned the ban in November of the following year, ruling that the Treasury Department’s actions against Tornado Cash were unlawful.
The court’s decision was based on the argument that smart contracts, such as those used by Tornado Cash, do not qualify as “property” under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This ruling deemed the ban as an overreach of governmental power.
In light of these legal battles, Vitalik Buterin’s donation to Pertsev has been crucial in supporting the developer’s ongoing legal battle. The donation was made through the Juicebox platform, where a dedicated page has been set up to raise funds for Pertsev’s legal fees. The Tornado Cash developers publicly expressed their gratitude to Buterin for his support.
The cryptocurrency community has been closely following the developments surrounding Tornado Cash and its legal challenges. With Buterin’s support and the recent court ruling overturning the ban on Tornado Cash, the future of the project and its developers remains uncertain yet hopeful.
For the latest updates on this story and other important news in the crypto world, be sure to subscribe to our email alerts and follow us on social media. Stay informed and stay connected with the latest developments in the world of cryptocurrency.