In a surprising turn of events, Alexey Pertsev, the developer behind the Tornado Cash protocol, has been granted a temporary release from prison by a Dutch court. The court has suspended Pertsev’s “pretrial detention” as he prepares to appeal his money laundering conviction.
Pertsev, who will be released on February 7th, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work on his appeal and fight for justice. However, he clarified that his release is not “real freedom” as he would still be required to be under electronic monitoring.
During his trial, Pertsev argued that he could not be held liable for the actions of those who used the Tornado Cash protocol for nefarious or illegal purposes. The court, however, rejected this argument, stating that Pertsev and the other Tornado Cash co-founders should have taken more stringent measures to prevent criminal use.
Pertsev, a Russian national and resident of the Netherlands, was found guilty of money laundering by a Dutch court on May 14 and was sentenced to five years and four months behind bars. His lawyers immediately filed an appeal, and he has been in pre-trial detention ever since.
In August 2023, the US charged Roman Storm and fellow co-founder Roman Semenov, accusing them of helping launder over $1 billion in crypto through Tornado Cash. Semenov is still at large and on the FBI’s most wanted list. Storm is free on a $2 million bond and expected to face trial in April.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tornado Cash in August 2022, which led to the arrest of the two founders. A US court overturned the sanctions on January 21.
Crypto developer Michael Lewellen filed a January 16 lawsuit against the US Department of Justice, saying its interpretation of money-transmitting laws in the Tornado Cash case meant he could face charges if he released his software. The prosecution of the platform’s founders has raised concerns about the wider ramifications for crypto and software development.
Storm argued his prosecution is a “terrifying criminalization of privacy” that threatens to “criminalize software development itself.” 😱
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2025-02-07 03:59