The crypto community raises $2.3 million legal fund to support Tornado Cash developers

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, former Tornado Cash developers have been charged with money laundering, violating sanctions, and operating an unlicensed remittance business, with one person already convicted and imprisoned. Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm and developer Alexey Pertsev were arrested, and the crypto community established JusticeDAO to raise funds for their legal defense.

Through the decentralized platform Juicebox's "Free Alexey & Roman" fundraising campaign, JusticeDAO has raised 654 ETH (approximately $2.3 million). Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also made significant contributions to the fund.

Despite community support, the founders of Tornado Cash still face serious charges. The U.S. Treasury Department alleges that Tornado Cash was used to launder over $7 billion, with Storm and Roman Semenov charged with money laundering and violating sanctions. In May 2024, a Dutch court found developer Pertsev guilty of money laundering, sentencing him to five years and four months in prison.