Alexey Pertsev is a software developer associated with Tornado Cash, an Ethereum privacy protocol. A Dutch district court convicted him of money laundering in May 2024 and imposed a 64-month sentence; the conviction was appealed.
In-Depth Explanation
The case concerns the responsibility of a developer for Tornado Cash’s operation and its use to conceal criminal proceeds. The first-instance court found Pertsev guilty under Dutch law; that ruling is not a U.S. court decision and does not by itself decide how other jurisdictions treat software development. In February 2025, a Dutch court suspended his pretrial detention under electronic monitoring so he could work on the appeal. At Dutch Blockchain Week in 2026, the DeFi Education Fund reported that no formal appeal hearing date had been announced; this is an advocacy organization’s attributed update, not a court order.
History
- 2019 — Tornado Cash development begins. Pertsev and two other developers created and continued developing the software, according to the Dutch court.
- August 2022 — Arrested in the Netherlands. Dutch authorities arrested Pertsev during an investigation into Tornado Cash.
- May 14, 2024 — First-instance judgment. The East Brabant District Court convicted him and imposed 64 months’ imprisonment. Pertsev appealed.
- February 2025 — Conditional release. His pretrial detention was suspended under electronic monitoring while he prepared the appeal.
- 2026 status note. The DeFi Education Fund reported that a formal appeal hearing date had not yet been announced.
Related Terms
See Also
- What Are Zero-Knowledge Proofs?
- Are Layer 2 Networks Decentralized?
- Is Ethereum Staking Making the Network More Centralized?
- Swap crypto with ChangeNOW
Sources
- East Brabant District Court: ECLI:NL:RBOBR:2024:2069 — The Dutch court’s judgment records the May 2024 conviction and 64-month prison sentence.
- Dutch Judiciary: Tornado Cash developer sentenced — The court’s English-language summary identifies the first-instance ruling and explains the court’s findings.
- The Block: conditional release while preparing appeal — The report states that in February 2025 his pretrial detention was suspended under electronic monitoring so he could work on his appeal.
- DeFi Education Fund: 2026 appeal update — This policy advocacy organization reported at Dutch Blockchain Week 2026 that no formal appeal hearing date had been announced; its perspective is attributed.