Vitalik Buterin Supports Tornado Cash Devs with $113K Donation

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to privacy in the cryptocurrency sector by donating 30 ETH, valued at approximately $113,000, to the legal defense fund of Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.

This donation highlights the significance of their cause and Buterin’s dedication to privacy rights.

Etherscan Data Confirms Donation

Etherscan data reveals that Buterin donated to the “Free Pertsev and Storm” defense fund on the decentralized fundraising platform Juicebox on May 30. As of this writing, the fund has accumulated 591 ETH, equivalent to $2.2 million, to support the developers’ legal battles.

Pertsev and Storm have faced significant legal challenges due to their involvement with Tornado Cash, a crypto privacy protocol. The Dutch court sentenced Pertsev to 64 months in prison for laundering $1.2 billion through Tornado Cash between July 2019 and August 2022. He has appealed the verdict at the s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Storm has been detained in the US since 2023, with his trial scheduled for September.

Vitalik Buterin has consistently advocated for privacy in the crypto space. He has published several papers and suggestions on enhancing privacy on Ethereum, reinforcing his support for tools like Tornado Cash. During a recent fireside chat, Buterin reiterated his perspective on privacy.

“I’m supportive of people working on privacy things. I hope that things go in a good direction within the ecosystem. And you know, I also hope that governments see the value of this,” Buterin explained.

Read more: Tornado Cash: Everything You Need To Know

Ethereum co-founder Buterin’s donation to the Tornado Cash developers highlights his commitment to privacy rights. He remains hopeful about the development of advanced privacy tools, highlighting their importance in the digital era. Buterin’s unwavering support and advocacy bring out the critical role privacy will play in the future of digital transactions.