Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin is donating 100 Ethereum to strengthen the legal defense fund of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm.
In a new thread on social media platform X, Storm, who helped launch an anonymous ETH-based crypto mixing protocol in 2019, thanked Buterin for his continued support.
“Words cannot express how much it means to me. Thank you for your support over the years.”
According to the Free Pertsev & Storm
In 2022, the US government sanctioned Coin Tumbler due to national security concerns. At the time, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that more than $7 billion worth of digital assets had been laundered through the protocol since its inception, including funds moved by North Korean hacking network Lazarus Group. did.
The developers of the protocol were subsequently indicted, including Storm, who was arrested last year along with Roman Semenov, another developer of Tornado Cash, for allegedly aiding and abetting illegal money laundering for Lazarus Group.
The legal fund, hosted on decentralized funding platform Juicebox, has raised over $800,000 in Ethereum at the time of writing. Mr. Storm’s legal costs have soared to $500,000 a month, and he could need an additional $2 million to $3 million to move forward, according to people involved in the fundraiser.
In May, it was revealed that Buterin transferred 30 ETH (worth $113,678 at the time) to Storm and Pertsev’s funds. Last month, a Dutch judge sentenced Pertsev to more than five years in prison for helping create a platform that allowed bad actors to launder the proceeds of criminal activity.
Never miss a beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered straight to your inbox
Check price action
follow me ×Facebook and Telegram
Surf the Daily Hoddle Mix
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on The Daily Hodl do not constitute investment advice. Investors should perform due diligence before making high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets. Please note that transfers and transactions are made at your own risk and you are responsible for any losses you may incur. The Daily Hodl does not recommend buying or selling any cryptocurrencies or digital assets. The Daily Hodl is also not an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Featured image: Shutterstock/Liu zishan/Satheesh Sankaran
