Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin just gave a substantial amount to support the legal battle of Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.
Data from Ethereum blockchain explorer Etherscan shows that Buterin transferred 30 ETH worth $113,678 to the “Free Alexey & Roman” legal fund on May 30th.
Tornado Cash is an Ethereum-based coin mixing service that facilitates anonymous crypto transactions. In 2022, the US imposed a sanction on the platform claiming that it is used to launder illicit funds and pose a threat to national security.
The developers of Tornado Cash were subsequently charged. Earlier this month, a district court in the Netherlands sentenced Pertsev to 64 months in jail for laundering billions of dollars worth of crypto.
US authorities also arrested Storm last year. The Justice Department charged him and fellow developer Roman Semenov for allegedly helping the North Korean hacking group Lazarus launder their criminal proceeds.
In January, Storm asked for donations to help fund his legal defense, and in a video posted on the social media platform X, he said that the outcome of his trial would have significant implications on the future of digital assets.
The legal fund on the decentralized fundraising platform Juicebox has so far raised 597.07 ETH worth $2.25 million. The initiative says Roman and Alexey’s legal expenses range between $90,000 and $100,000 per month.
“Roman and Alex need your help to build a strong defense not just for their sake, but for crypto users and developers worldwide. In response to the arrests, a group of sympathizers came together to form WeWantJusticeDAO to advocate on their behalf and help raise funds for legal defense. However, time and money are running out, and we need your support.”
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