Vitalik Buterin has shown unwavering support for Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, who are facing accusations of money laundering.
In a generous display of solidarity, the Ethereum co-founder donated 30 ETH, worth around $113,000, to the Juicebox campaign ‘Free Alexey & Roman’ on May 8. Buterin has been a vocal advocate for Pertsev and Storm, expressing disappointment at the outcome of their case. During a speech at DappCon in Berlin, he described Pertsev’s 64-month prison sentence as “extremely unfortunate.”
Buterin firmly believes that developing privacy software should be a legal and legitimate way to uphold privacy rights. However, the recent ruling by a Dutch court found Pertsev guilty of money laundering through the software he created, setting a precedent that could affect Storm’s pending case in the United States.
Despite facing increased regulatory scrutiny due to concerns about potential misuse by criminal elements, Buterin remains hopeful and looks forward to a positive outcome in Storm’s upcoming trial. He continues to emphasize the importance of privacy for ordinary individuals, not just those engaged in illicit activities.
Buterin’s stance on privacy is well-known, as he actively supports privacy-focused cryptocurrency tools like Railgun and 0xbow. He believes that creating software to protect privacy should be a legitimate endeavor.
In addition to Buterin, the Tornado Cash legal defense has garnered support from prominent privacy advocate Edward Snowden. Snowden has publicly backed the fundraiser for the legal defense, denouncing the case against Tornado Cash as authoritarian and illiberal. Like Buterin, he asserts that privacy should not be treated as a criminal offense.
Following Buterin’s donation, the ‘Free Alexey & Roman’ campaign received numerous smaller contributions in ETH, accompanied by messages expressing relief that justice is being served.
As of now, the campaign has raised a total of 559.81 ETH, equivalent to approximately $2 million. The outpouring of support underscores the importance of privacy rights and the community’s solidarity with Pertsev and Storm in their legal battle.