Vitalik Buterin wallet contributed 30 ETH to Tornado Cash’s legal fund.
A wallet associated with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has transferred 30 Ether, valued at $113,000, to the open-source crypto-mining platform Juicebox. The money was earmarked for legal aid to support Tornado Cash developers Alexey Persev and Roman Storm.
At the time of this publication, the fund has raised 591 Ether (ETH) and will support the legal defense of the developers of Tornado Cash in their court battle to prove their innocence.
Law enforcement actions on privacy devices
Crypto veterans including Buterin have long advocated for crypto privacy and tools that help users manage their assets privately. Buterin himself has published many papers and opinions on how to improve privacy on Ethereum, and his support for the cause is not surprising.
Tornado Cash is a cryptocurrency crypto tool that allows users to send crypto transactions anonymously. Despite its focus on privacy, criminals use the tool to proceed with hacked or stolen funds.
The device's features have drawn the attention of law enforcement agencies, leading the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to approve its use in August 2022.
The founders of Tornado Cash have been arrested and charged with violating anti-money laundering laws. Subsequently, a Dutch court sentenced Alexei Persev to five years for money laundering.
Experts have warned that this could have a significant impact on the crypto industry as law enforcement agencies search for software developers.
Related: Donald Trump says his campaign will embrace crypto
The crypto community's fight for freedom
The law enforcement crackdown on crypto privacy has had a major impact on privacy-focused coins like Monero, which have been delisted from major exchanges around the world. Similarly, privacy tools have faced criticism from regulators.
However, despite the privacy concerns of the crypto community, law enforcement agencies believe it is wrong to arrest software developers just for writing code and equate them with terrorists.
The crypto community has been advocating for human rights. Ross Ulbricht, creator of the infamous Silk Road marketplace, is one of the most active in the community calling for his release.
Ulbricht is currently serving two consecutive life sentences without parole for non-violent crimes.
The crypto community's voice has now helped gain the attention of former President Donald Trump, who has promised to pardon Ulbricht if elected president.
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