Tornado Cash Co-Founder Alexey Pertsev Released from Prison to House Arrest
Alexey Pertsev, co-founder of Tornado Cash, has been released from a Dutch prison after nine months but remains under house arrest while his appeal is pending. He was convicted of money laundering last May for operating an open-source platform misused by criminals.
Key points:
- Pertsev's release was facilitated through donations covering his legal fees.
- Support from the crypto community includes contributions from notable figures like Vitalik Buterin.
- Paradigm pledged $1.25 million to assist his co-founder, Roman Storm, with legal issues.
- The US sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022, but these sanctions were overturned in November and upheld in January, leading to a spike in the platform’s token value.
- Despite some relief, Tornado Cash faces ongoing scrutiny due to increased illegal activities.
- Last year, hackers laundered $50 million using the platform in one month.
- Pertsev expresses gratitude for the support he has received and hopes for positive developments in 2025.
Pertsev is now at home, awaiting the next stage of his trial as the future of Tornado Cash remains uncertain.