YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev was granted bail on February 7, 2025, after spending more than two years in pretrial detention. The ’s-Hertogenbosch Court ruled that he could prepare his defense outside prison, following multiple failed bail appeals since his 2022 arrest.
Pertsev’s lawyer, Judith de Boer, called the court’s decision a “crucial step”, emphasizing that he now has access to legal resources like the internet, which was previously denied.
Alexey Pertsev Bail Announcement. Source: XAlexey Pertsev Sentenced to Five Years for Money Laundering
On May 14, 2024, a Dutch court found Alexey Pertsev guilty of laundering $1.2 billion through Tornado Cash and sentenced him to five years in prison. Authorities claim that Tornado Cash facilitated illicit transactions by allowing users to mix cryptocurrencies, obscuring transaction histories on public blockchains.
Since his arrest in 2022, bail requests and access to a computer were denied. De Boer previously criticized the pretrial detention, calling it “unacceptable” due to the legal complexity of the case.
Tornado Cash: A Privacy Tool or a Money Laundering Platform?
Pertsev argues that Tornado Cash operates as a decentralized, non-custodial protocol, and he denies responsibility for how users utilize it. The case highlights concerns about prosecuting software developers for creating open-source tools.
Roman Storm, Tornado Cash’s co-founder, plans to defend similar claims during his trial in the United States in April 2025. He asserts that authorities are targeting him for “writing open-source code that enables private transactions,” not for directly facilitating illegal activities.
Roman Storm Prosecution Statement. Source: XTornado Cash operates as a cryptocurrency mixer, allowing users to mix crypto transactions with others, making it harder to trace specific sources of funds. While privacy advocates argue that such tools protect financial privacy, regulators claim they enable money laundering and other illegal activities.
Legal Experts Highlight the Case’s Impact on Crypto Regulations
Legal analysts have pointed out that Pertsev’s case could shape future regulations regarding decentralized finance and cryptocurrency mixers.
Natalia Latka, director at Merkle Science, stated that
“historically, software developers were seen as neutral creators, responsible for functionality but not for user actions.”
However, authorities are increasingly targeting developers of decentralized tools.
De Boer warned that the court’s ruling could create uncertainty for crypto developers, as it questions whether financial privacy tools violate existing laws. She also argued that European privacy laws protect the right to financial anonymity, raising concerns about the legal precedent set by Pertsev’s conviction.
Crypto Community Responds to Alexey Pertsev’s Conviction
Pertsev’s conviction has drawn reactions from privacy advocates, blockchain developers, and crypto executives who argue that the ruling could affect open-source software development.
Eléonore Blanc, founder of CryptoCanal, noted that the case could impact other blockchain projects.
Tornado Cash Legal Accountability. Source: XAttorney Andrew Balthazor, from Holland & Knight, stated that
“Pertsev’s conviction reinforces the idea that developers can be held accountable for how their tools are used”.
A group of supporters formed JusticeDAO, a crowdfunding initiative raising legal funds for Pertsev and Storm. However, efforts to raise funds through GoFundMe were blocked in February 2024. The fundraiser later received direct crypto donations, including contributions from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin in October and December 2024.
The post Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev Granted Bail After Two Years in Detention first appeared on Coinchapter.
The post Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev Granted Bail After Two Years in Detention appeared first on Coinchapter.
