news 
Ethereum Foundation Supports Tornado Cash Developer with $1.25 Million Donation
In a shocking move, the Ethereum Foundation has decided to donate a massive $1.25 million to support Alexey Pertsev, one of the developers of the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Tornado Cash, as he battles criminal charges in court.
Pertsev faces five years in prison for his role in Tornado Cash, which was accused by authorities of facilitating illegal transactions. The Ethereum Foundation’s donation will enable his legal team to appeal against his sentence and fight for his rights.
This development has sparked renewed discussions regarding the importance of developer privacy and the need to protect open-source software developers from criminal prosecution.
The legal troubles of Pertsev began in 2022 when the US Treasury sanctioned Tornado Cash, accusing the platform of facilitating illegal transactions. Dutch officials later arrested Pertsev, charging him with failing to prevent criminal activity through the tool he helped develop.
