Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum (ETH), has made a generous contribution to support the legal battle of Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, the developers of Tornado Cash. According to data from the Ethereum blockchain explorer Etherscan, Buterin transferred 30 ETH, equivalent to $113,678, to the “Free Alexey & Roman” legal fund on May 30th.

Tornado Cash is a coin mixing service built on the Ethereum network, which enables anonymous cryptocurrency transactions. However, in 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on the platform, alleging that it facilitated money laundering and posed a threat to national security.

As a result, the developers of Tornado Cash faced charges. Pertsev was recently sentenced to 64 months in jail by a district court in the Netherlands for laundering billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency. Storm was also arrested by US authorities last year and, along with fellow developer Roman Semenov, was charged with assisting the North Korean hacking group Lazarus in laundering their illicit proceeds.

In January, Storm appealed for donations to support his legal defense. In a video shared on the social media platform X, he emphasized that the outcome of his trial would have significant implications for the future of digital assets.

The legal fund on the decentralized fundraising platform Juicebox has raised a total of 597.07 ETH, equivalent to $2.25 million, thus far. The initiative states that Roman and Alexey’s legal expenses range from $90,000 to $100,000 per month.

“Roman and Alex need your help to build a strong defense not only for their own sake but also for crypto users and developers worldwide. In response to their arrests, a group of sympathizers formed WeWantJusticeDAO to advocate on their behalf and raise funds for their legal defense. However, time and money are running out, and we need your support.”

Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox.

Check Price Action

Follow us on X, Facebook, and Telegram

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are not investment advice. Investors should conduct their own research before making high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, or digital assets. Please be aware that your transfers and trades are made at your own risk, and any losses incurred are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not endorse the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is it an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl engages in affiliate marketing.

Featured Image: Shutterstock/issaro prakalung