Vitalik Buterin Donated 30 ETH to the Tornado Cash Co-Founders Fundraising Campaign
Date: 2024-05-30 Author: Henry Casey Categories: IN WORLD
Buterin's donation
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin made a significant contribution to the fundraising campaign for the co-founders of cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, donating 30 ETH, equivalent to $112,755. These funds are intended to pay for legal services to developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.
Fundraising Campaign
Pertsev and Storm organized a fundraiser through the decentralized Juicebox platform. As of May 30, 2024, they have received 591.27 ETH from 867 donors. At the time of writing, these assets are valued at more than $2.2 million.
Problems with the Authorities
Tornado Cash's history of problems began in August 2022, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the mixer. Shortly after this, Alexey Pertsev was detained in Amsterdam. Subsequently, charges were brought against Roman Storm.
Verdict for Alexey Pertsev
In May 2024, a Dutch court issued a verdict in the case of Alexey Pertsev, finding him guilty of facilitating the laundering of funds amounting to more than $2 billion. Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison, as well as the confiscation of $2 million and a car.
Roman Storm's Legal Fight
At the same time, Roman Storm's lawyers are actively working to protect their client. They recently filed several motions to dismiss the charges. The defense team seeks to overturn Storm's trial before it even begins in an attempt to prove his innocence.
Vitalik Buterin's contribution highlights the importance of community support for those facing legal challenges in the crypto industry. The fundraising campaign for the co-founders of Tornado Cash demonstrates solidarity and willingness to help in difficult times, and also draws attention to the difficulties faced by developers of innovative cryptocurrency projects.
