Alexey Pertsev was released under electronic surveillance Pertsev has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison since 2022, as the developer has been in prison.
Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev has been released from detention following a ruling in favor of electronic surveillance for continued pretrial detention.
Released at 10am on February 7, Petsev was charged with money laundering and linked to US Treasury sanctions on tornado cash. The protocol was said to have been involved in illegal fundraising, according to the US government.
Pertsev was found guilty of money laundering in 2024 and has been in custody since August 2022.
Particularly, Peltsev’s release comes almost a month after Texas court overturned sanctions on tornado cash.
Petzev expressed his gratitude on the occasion, saying, “Dear friend, I will be free at 10am on Friday, February 7th! It’s not true freedom, but it’s better than prison.”
He further stated that the development would “give him the opportunity to tackle my appeal and fight for justice.”
Dear friend, I’ll be free on Friday, February 7th at 10am! It’s not true freedom, but it’s better than prisons. Today, a Dutch court has suspended my pretrial detention under the conditions of electronic surveillance. This gives me the opportunity to tackle my appeal and fight…
– Alexey Pertsev (@alex_pertsev) February 6, 2025
Alexey Pertsev’s Anguish
The Pertsev incident has been in the international spotlight since 2022. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused the platform and its developers of promoting money laundering.
Despite these allegations, Pertsev and his legal team challenged the accusation, claiming that developers should not be responsible for how open source software is being used by others. It’s there. This argument resonates with many in the cryptocurrency community who advocate for separating developer responsibility from user behavior.
Previously, Dutch courts refuted Peltsev’s defense, and Tornado Cash’s Peltsev and his co-founder were appropriate to prevent misuse by criminal entities, including Lazarus, the infamous North Korean cybercriminal group. He said he had not taken any such measures. The court proceeded and sentenced Pertsev to five years and four months in prison for money laundering.
Pertsev had applied for bail multiple times without success.
Thus, the court’s decision to allow electronic surveillance represents a shift in perspective, possibly acknowledging the complexities involved in prosecuting tech developers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.
As Pertsev is currently focusing on his appeal, the Crypto community and legal observers recognize the possibility that it will affect future legal interpretations of developer accountability in a rapidly evolving technology environment. I know that there is.
