Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donated 30 ETH, roughly $113,000, to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash developers Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.

Etherscan data reveals that Buterin contributed to the “Free Pertsev and Storm” defense fund on the decentralized platform Juicebox early on May 30. By press time, the fund had accumulated 591 ETH, valued at $2.2 million.

Buterin’s donation aligns with his advocacy for crypto privacy tools and his frequent use of such platforms.

### Legal Challenges for Tornado Cash Developers

Over the past year, Pertsev and Storm, developers of the Tornado Cash privacy protocol, have encountered legal issues due to their involvement with the crypto mixer.

Earlier this month, a Dutch court sentenced Pertsev to 64 months in prison for laundering about $1.2 billion through Tornado Cash from July 2019 to August 2022. Pertsev has appealed the judgment at the s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal in the Netherlands.

Similarly, Storm has been detained in the US since 2023, with his trial set for September.

Buterin’s donation highlights the growing support for the developers within the crypto community. Last month, three blockchain advocacy groups filed amicus curiae briefs defending Storm against criminal charges in the US, aiding his efforts to dismiss the charges.

Additionally, US Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden have challenged the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) attempt to classify non-custodial crypto asset software services like Tornado Cash as money-transmitting businesses. They argue that such definitions would hinder innovation and undermine confidence in the DOJ’s adherence to the rule of law.

Several crypto projects, including Optimism, Aave, MakerDAO, YearnFi, Alchemix, and Uniswap, are discussing potential donations to support the developers.