The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has donated $1.25 million to support the legal defence of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev, who is preparing to appeal his money laundering conviction in the Netherlands.
Ethereum Foundation Stands in Support
Announcing the donation on 26 February, the EF stated on social media platform X, “Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime.” The foundation’s contribution aims to assist Pertsev as he challenges the Dutch court’s ruling.
Source: Alexey Pertsev
In response, Pertsev expressed his gratitude, reposting the announcement and stating, “I’m very grateful that I can now completely focus on preparing my appeal. This means the world to me.”
Pertsev’s Legal Battle
Pertsev was found guilty of money laundering in May 2024 and sentenced to five years and four months in prison. His conviction relates to his role in Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer that authorities claim was used to facilitate illicit transactions.
The developer, a Russian national residing in the Netherlands, was arrested by Dutch authorities in August 2022. He was released from prison custody in early February 2025 as part of pretrial conditions, marking a key moment in his ongoing legal fight.
Tornado Cash has faced extensive scrutiny from global regulators. The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the platform in August 2022. However, those sanctions were overturned on 21 January 2025, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president.
Previous Support from the Crypto Community
This is not the first time Pertsev has received financial aid from the Ethereum community. In December 2024, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donated 50 Ether (worth approximately $170,000 at the time) to support both Pertsev and Roman Storm, another Tornado Cash developer facing legal action in the United States.
Source: Vitalik Buterin
Pertsev publicly acknowledged the community’s support, stating, “I would like to thank everyone, especially Vitalik Buterin and Stefan George, for your incredible generosity to my defence. Your support inspires me to move forward, and I’m forever grateful.”
Beyond individual contributions, crypto investment firm Paradigm also pledged $1.25 million in January 2025 to fund Storm’s legal defence ahead of his trial in the US, set for 14 April.
With backing from the Ethereum Foundation and the wider crypto community, Pertsev now prepares to appeal his conviction, continuing a case that has sparked debate over privacy, financial autonomy, and the legal responsibilities of software developers in the crypto space.
