According to the event page for the protest, the accusations against the Tornado Cash developer may affect the open-source software segment.
Over the weekend, a group of crypto advocates gathered in Dam Square, Amsterdam, to protest the arrest of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev. The demonstration was organized by the developer’s wife, Xenia Malik, who also participated in the protest. Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Services (FIOD) arrested Pertsev on suspicion of concealing criminal financial flows. The arrest came shortly after the US Treasury announced a ban on Tornado Cash over allegations of facilitating money laundering. The Treasury alleged that North Koreans used the virtual currency mixer to launder more than $7 billion in cryptocurrencies. According to the agency, Tornado Cash “repeatedly failed” to take steps to control the illegal activities. Due to the situation, the US Treasury froze the virtual crypto mixer, and an examining judge agreed to keep the developer in custody for two weeks.
Family and Developers Protest against Tornado Cash Developer Arrest in Amsterdam
In his defense, Pertsev supporters came together to protest against the arrest. They said the authority is holding him inappropriately for the laundering on Tornado Cash. The demonstrators argued that Pertsev should not be charged for writing open-source even if it was used for illegal activities. A few of the placards they carried during the protest in support of the Tornado Cash developer include, “will you arrest a gun maker for facilitating a public shooting? will you arrest a knife maker for facilitating a stabbing”, and ”free Alex Pertsev.”
According to the event page for the protest, the accusations against the Tornado Cash developer may affect the open-source software segment.
“The accusations against Alex threaten to kill the entire open-source software segment. No one will dare to write and publish open-source code, no one will invest in the segment if they could be made responsible for the use of the tool they created by other parties.”
Additionally, Roman Buzko of the law firm Buzko Krasnov believes that the action quotations crypto’s fundamental principle. Another individual who participated in the protest, Eleonore Blanc, said the arrest of the Tornado Cash developer goes against all he has been working for over the years. He added that it creates “a chilling effect that goes against innovation, that goes against the community.”
More Comments in Support of Pertsev
More comments in support of Pertsev include that the authorities are not going after the actual criminals. Many believe that the blockchain developer is not responsible for code’s use for illicit activity. Oxorio co-founder Peter Korolov said in a tweet that Pertsev has nothing to do with the Tornado Cash operations. He also expressed concern about the developer, who is his friend. He mentioned that his wife had not been able to visit him for two weeks. However, he said that this case may create a precedent for open-source code developers if he is found guilty.
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