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Free Alexey: Tornado Cash Developer Sentenced to 5 Years For Defending Your Freedom to Exchange

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Free Alex: Privacy Coin Founder Alexey Pertsev sentenced to 5 years for Tornado Cash development - Free Alexey movement goes viral.

Everyone is saying ‘Free Alex’ – here’s why. Privacy Coin Founder Alexey Pertsev was sentenced to 5 years for Tornado Cash development, and the Free Alexey movement went viral.

The gavel came down hard in the Netherlands, sentencing Tornado Cash’s founder, Alexey Pertsev, to over five years in the clink for a $1.2 billion money-laundering spectacle.

It’s a watershed moment for crypto, thrusting the privacy coin and DeFi debate into the regulatory spotlight.

According to the court’s verdict, “Tornado Cash does not pose any barrier for people with criminal assets who want to launder them.”

Tornado Cash: Would You Arrest a Gun Maker for a School Shooting?

In the wake of the Tornado Cash verdict, a wave of crypto investors have voiced their support for Alexey.

“Really unthinkable bro. I can’t believe someone is locked up for creating something that encourages freedom,” one X user wrote.

The court in s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, articulated that Tornado Cash primarily serves as a tool for criminal activities, offering full facilitation to its unlawful users.

Many in the crypto world argue that you can’t control activity on the blockchain, or people’s freedom to exchange, and #FreeAlex tags are making a comeback on X.

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Pertsev was arrested in August 2022 following the U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to blacklist Tornado Cash, linking it to several high-profile cybercrimes, including a $625 million theft by North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

Pertsev’s legal team has a two-week window to appeal the decision until he will be held in custody.

DISCOVER: How to Buy Bitcoin Anonymously With No KYC In 2024

The Bottom Line: What’s Next for Tornado Cash and Alex

The focus of the controversy now shifts to Roman Storm, another key figure behind Tornado Cash, who faces similar charges in the United States.

His trial is set for late September, further spotlighting the legal entanglements facing crypto privacy advocates.

It could be that privacy coins have no future according to the powers that be – but one thing is certain – crypto-anarchists will never stop fighting to make the internet a free place to exchange value, ideas, and information.

EXPLORE: Robinhood v/s SEC: A Pivotal Battle Over Crypto’s Regulatory Future 

Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.

Isaiah McCall is an ultramarathon runner and journalist for 99Bitcoins. He started at USAToday in 2019 and now has a Medium blog following of 30k+ and millions of views. Follow him at @AfroReporter

View all Posts by Isaiah Mccall

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