Support for Ethereum Developers

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, alongside others, is advocating for the release of Virgil Griffith and Roman Storm, co-founders of Tornado Cash.

Buterin tweeted, “No man left behind,” calling for the freedom of Alexey Pertsev, another Tornado Cash co-founder. This initiative follows former President Trump‘s recent executive order pardoning Ross Ulbricht, who was serving multiple life sentences for operating Silk Road, a darknet market known for selling illegal goods.

Griffith was sentenced to 56 months in prison in 2021 after pleading guilty to violating sanctions by traveling to North Korea to provide cryptocurrency advice. Meanwhile, Storm was charged in 2023 for conspiracy to commit money laundering and sanctions violations regarding Tornado Cash. Storm’s case has been delayed as he claims his First Amendment rights were violated.

Buterin expressed his commitment to supporting Storm and Pertsev, stating, “In Ethereum, we protect our own, and uphold our honor.”

Tornado Cash has faced scrutiny from U.S. regulators, leading to its designation as a sanctioned entity by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in August 2022. Critics believe it is unjust to sanction software. Recent court rulings have challenged the authority of OFAC regarding these sanctions.

The Trump team’s response to the situation remains unaddressed.