Ethereum Foundation Pledges $1.25M to Support Alexey Pertsev's Legal Defense

The EF is donating $1.25M to the legal defense of Alexey Pertsev. Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime.

The Ethereum Foundation has pledged $1.25 million to support the legal defense of Alexey Pertsev, a developer linked to the Tornado Cash project, who is facing money laundering charges in the Netherlands, according to a report by CCN.

The EF is donating $1.25M to the legal defense of Alexey Pertsev.Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime.You can contribute to @alex_pertsev‘s defense here: https://t.co/shWFNoDJ9g

Pertsev’s legal troubles began in 2022 when Dutch authorities arrested him for his role in Tornado Cash. Even though he had no power over the funds moving through Tornado Cash, Pertsev was found guilty of helping money launderers. In May 2024, he received a sentence of five years and four months in prison.

Following the conviction, Pertsev appealed the ruling and is still fighting the charges. In February 2025, he was granted conditional release from pretrial detention and placed under electronic monitoring.

The Ethereum Foundation’s money is part of a larger effort to support developers facing similar legal battles related to Tornado Cash. Similar to the Ethereum Foundation’s donation, Paradigm, a crypto firm, donated $1.25 million to Tornado Cash’s co-founder Roman Storm for his defense in the U.S. case.

Additionally, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin contributed 50 ETH, worth approximately $170,000, to the legal defense funds for both Pertsev and Storm.

Thank you @VitalikButerin for helping us end the year on a good note, with a 50 ETH donation to both Roman and Alexey's legal aid. ZK is the future. https://t.co/WIY8B6v4qa pic.twitter.com/sM16LhnUc7

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022. They claimed the platform allowed the laundering of over $7 billion in illegal funds.

The actions also connected Tornado Cash to North Korean hacking groups, raising worries about the platform’s role in supporting criminal activity. However, the legality of these bans is now being questioned. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Appeals Court decided in November 2024 that OFAC may have overstepped its authority by banning the platform’s smart contracts.

The legal battles of Pertsev and Storm are receiving support from various groups. Amicus briefs filed by the DeFi Education Fund, Coin Center, and the Blockchain Association argue for developer rights to create and share software without fear of being charged.

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