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The largest altcoin Ethereum‘s (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently donated 30 ETH worth 111 thousand dollars to a legal defense fund supporting Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm. This donation was made through a decentralized fundraising platform called Juicebox. On-chain data shows the transaction was made from the vitalik.eth address associated with Buterin to the “Free Alexey & Roman” legal fund on Juicebox.
The Fund’s Purpose and Current Status
The legal defense fund, established to provide financial support for the legal battles faced by Pertsev and Storm, has so far raised 591 ETH, approximately 2.2 million dollars. The fund aims to support the developers of Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer that allows users to obscure their transactions on the Ethereum Blockchain, making it difficult to trace their movements on-chain.
As is known, Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison by Dutch courts for his involvement in processing 1.2 billion dollars through Tornado Cash from July 2019 to August 2022. The court argues that Pertsev facilitated money laundering through the crypto mixer.
Meanwhile, Roman Storm remains in custody in the US following his arrest in 2023, with his trial scheduled for September. Both Tornado Cash developers currently face serious charges related to money laundering activities.
Buterin’s Support for Legal Funds
Buterin is not contributing to legal defense funds via Juicebox for the first time. In 2022, he donated 10 ETH, then worth 30,980 dollars, to AssangeDAO, a legal fund established to support WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange. These donations demonstrate Buterin’s commitment to supporting individuals facing legal challenges within the crypto world.
Buterin’s donation and the broader fundraising effort highlight the importance of legal defense within the crypto world, especially for developers and projects that may be targeted by regulatory authorities.
Tornado Cash has been sanctioned by the US government for its role in obscuring transactions on the Blockchain, leading to significant legal challenges for its developers. The support from prominent figures like Buterin and the substantial funds raised reflect a strong community response to these legal pressures.
