QUICK BITE
- Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev seeks $750,000 to $1 million in additional funds to continue his legal defense against money laundering charges.
- Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison by a Dutch court for allegedly laundering $1.2 billion through Tornado Cash, sparking controversy in the crypto industry.
- JusticeDAO, an advocacy group, has already raised over 654 Ether (approximately $2.3 million) to support Pertsev’s legal battle through a “Free Alexey & Roman” fundraiser.
The legal battle involving Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev has reached a crucial point as he seeks more funds to continue defending privacy rights and the freedom to publish code.
According to the support account for Pertsev and Roman Storm, Pertsev, who was arrested two years ago and is now facing a tough legal fight, is up against government forces with significant resources backing his prosecution.
The support account pointed out that Pertsev has run out of money, stressing the need to stand with him and raise between $750,000 and $1 million to cover his ongoing legal costs.
To help with their legal defense, an advocacy group called JusticeDAO was created. By June 19, they had raised over 654 Ether (about $2.3 million) through a fundraiser called “Free Alexey & Roman” on the decentralized platform Juicebox.
The Dutch court sentenced Pertsev to 64 months in prison, causing an uproar in the crypto industry. To make matters worse, the 31-year-old Russian developer remains in custody after his bail request to prepare for an appeal was denied on July 12.
On May 14, the ‘s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal in the Netherlands sentenced Pertsev to five years and four months in prison for money laundering. The court found that Pertsev had laundered $1.2 billion in illicit assets through Tornado Cash. This verdict followed a November 2023 ruling where a Dutch court denied his release under surveillance, deeming him a flight risk.
During his March trial, Pertsev argued that he shouldn’t be held responsible for how others used the Tornado Cash protocol illegally, but the court rejected this, stating he and his co-founders could have done more to prevent its criminal misuse.
