Alexey Pertsev has been sentenced to 64 months in prison. His crime? Per Dutch court, it’s building TornadoCash, a privacy-enhancing system which anyone can use — and doing so without creating a backdoor to stop “bad guys” from using it.

This ruling goes against all the EU’s public commitments to both privacy and supporting new high-tech startups, the case is arguably the first case where designing and writing code for an opensource software project was an important aspect of being held responsible for the way it was used.

The legal battles don’t end with this first court ruling; this case has now been taken to appeal — and this is where we need your help. Fighting legal battles is not cheap — and this one, having a direct impact on the future of both digital privacy and OpenSource software development in the whole EU, is not an exception.

Why Does This Matter?

Our industry thrives on innovation, collaboration, and the ability to create without fear. Alexey’s contributions to blockchain and privacy technologies is part of an important development in blockchain technologies. His current situation highlights the urgent need to protect developers from being prosecuted for creating tools that create privacy in a peer to peer network.

This case is about more than Alexey—it’s about ensuring the right to develop privacy-focused technologies and protecting the values that make blockchain technology revolutionary.

How You Can Help

We are raising funds to:

1. Support Alexey’s legal defense.

2. Advocate for justice and ensure this case receives the attention it deserves.

Every donation, big or small, sends a powerful message: the blockchain and tech communities stand in solidarity with the principle to code without fear.

Rewards for Supporters

By contributing to this campaign, you’re not just funding Alexey’s defense—you’re joining a movement to protect innovation and privacy in technology. While there are no substantial rewards, your support directly strengthens the fight for justice and the future of decentralized technologies.

The Future

Your contributions will help us achieve several goals:

• Short-term: Cover legal expenses and provide immediate support to Alexey and his family.

• Long-term: Advocate for privacy rights, open-source development, decentralized technologies and protections for innovators worldwide.

This campaign is not just about one case—it’s about creating a safer, more just environment for all developers.

Risks & Challenges

We are fully transparent about the challenges ahead. Legal battles like this are complex, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. It’s also (quite obviously) impossible to guarantee a victory.

However, with your support, we can overcome these obstacles and ensure that justice eventually prevails.

Call to Action

Please support the right of software developers to code without fear. Please support a future where blockchain users enjoy the same degree of privacy they have in more traditional banking institutions. Please support freedom for bright and skillful individuals to build world-class systems in the EU.

Please support our campaign to defend Alexey.

Even if you can’t donate, you can still help by spreading the word—share this campaign with your network and let’s stand united for a better future.

Make your contribution now and support our #FreedomToCode!