- Ethereum Developer detained at Turkish border over alleged Tornado Cash research connections
- International intervention from UAE, UK, US, and EU officials secured release
- $500K donation pledged to Roman Storm’s legal defense following incident
An Ethereum developer has revealed details of his detention at Istanbul’s passport control, where Turkish authorities held him over alleged connections to privacy protocol research.
The developer, known as Fede’s Intern, was traveling to meet local builders and explore business opportunities when border police prevented his entry and threatened formal charges.
Citing a case brought by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Turkish officials charged the developer with helping others misuse Ethereum by working on privacy protocols.
The charges apparently stem from academic research published years ago about Tornado Cash deanonymization techniques, not development of privacy features.
International Network Mobilizes for Developer’s Release
The Ethereum developer’s detention prompted immediate intervention from contacts across multiple countries including the UAE, UK, United States, and European Union nations.
High-level figures from Argentina and the Catholic Church also provided assistance, with some contacting senior Turkish officials directly.
Without this international support network, the developer believes the situation could have escalated to formal detention and property seizure.
Because of the intervention, he was able to keep his phone and avoid being placed in detention while charges were being prepared.
A Turkish attorney was quickly engaged to handle the legal response, though the full scope of the allegations remains unclear.
The developer plans to return to Turkey once the situation is resolved to clear his name through proper legal channels.
Academic Research Becomes Legal Target
The charges relate to research published on Tornado Cash called “Tutela,” which analyzed methods for deanonymizing users rather than enhancing privacy protections.
The work aimed to identify vulnerabilities in mixing protocols through academic investigation rather than criminal assistance.
The developer emphasized that writing code for transaction privacy doesn’t constitute criminal activity, comparing the logic to potentially jailing Linux creator Linus Torvalds if someone used the operating system for illegal purposes. Privacy research and development serve legitimate purposes beyond potential criminal applications.
Previous incidents occurred around the time of Alexey Pertsev’s detention, though those situations didn’t escalate to formal legal action.
The recent Turkey incident appears part of a broader pattern of scrutiny facing cryptocurrency privacy researchers and developers.
Legal Defense Fund Receives Major Contribution
Upon his release from detention, the developer donated $500,000 to Roman Storm’s defense fund as an expression of commitment, doubling his originally planned $50,000 donation.
The Ethereum Foundation is pledging to match the funds up to another $500,000, doubling the effect.
The larger donation figure is a response to the developer’s legal case, in support of other developers prosecuted for cryptocurrency activity.
The study aims to offer tangible proof to facilitate the support of innovation in cryptocurrency design.
The developer’s team is processing the donation transfer, with completion expected within hours of the announcement.
The substantial contribution is a sign of both personal conviction and strategic positioning about defending cryptocurrency developers’ rights.
The developer frames legal defense as essential for maintaining cryptocurrency’s foundational principles of open-source development and decentralization.
