Free Alex Pertsev

OpenSource software development is not a crime! || Note:follow @FreeAlexeyRoman, this account exists for historical reasons 💰💰 👉

[Free Alex Pertsev @Free__Alexey]

Some of the arguments in the Alexey Pertsev’s verdict could apply to any blockchain or smart contract developer. 

There will be an appeal.

That needs patience and money.

Donations can be made through the following Juicebox link: https://t.co/0aL1QaDJQZ

🙏🏻

[Alexey Pertsev @alex_pertsev]

Exactly two years after my arrest in Amsterdam, I’m back behind bars, appealing a 5-year sentence. This fight isn’t just about me; it’s about our privacy rights and the future of software developers.

Please join this legal battle and donate via Juicebox.

#freealexpertsev

[Peter Van Valkenburgh @valkenburgh]

1/ The DOJ is retrying the money laundering and sanctions counts against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm after a hung jury.

If prosecutors believe a dev knowingly conspired with criminals, it must prove those facts in court.

[Roman Storm 🇺🇸 🌪️ @rstormsf]

Today, the SDNY prosecutors filed a letter to Judge Failla requesting a retrial date. They want to go again in October. The prosecutors want to retry me on 2 counts the jury couldn't unanimously decide on. A jury of 12 Americans heard 4 weeks of evidence and deadlocked: no verdict on money laundering, and no verdict on sanctions violations. The government's response? Try again to make writing code a crime.
@realDonaldTrump declared the "War on Crypto is over." 🇺🇸
AG @DAGToddBlanche's memo: DOJ "is not a digital assets regulator" and won't target mixers for end-user acts. @USTreasury lifted Tornado Cash sanctions entirely. ✅ Also Treasury, March 2026: "Lawful users of digital assets may leverage mixers to enable financial privacy." — official report to Congress under the GENIUS Act. But the SDNY prosecutors — same country, same DOJ — just filed to retry me anyway. 🤔
⠀ The 2 counts = up to 40 years in federal prison. ⛓️ For writing open-source code. For a protocol I don't control. For transactions I never touched. A jury already couldn't agree this was criminal. But the SDNY prosecutors want to keep trying with the hope of getting a different answer.
⠀ I have a daughter. I have a life in Seattle. I will never stop fighting for freedom. ❤️ But I need to be honest with you: Four weeks of trial. A hung jury. Now they want to do it all over again in October. I have basically exhausted my legal defense funds. And I'm staring down another full federal trial. 😔 Every dollar raised goes directly to keeping this fight alive — attorneys, experts, the full defense apparatus it takes to stand up to the SDNY prosecutors. This isn't abstract. If I can't fund a defense, they win by default. If you care about financial privacy, if you write code and believe that code is speech — this is the moment. 💻🔐 👇

[sudo rm -rf --no-preserve-root / @pcaversaccio]

🫡because security is also privacy, my signer Safe (0x5aFE...Da0 -> safe...dao :D) is fully funded via Tornado Cash. That means a Tornado-funded signer is now securing over $220M in assets. Next time someone claims Tornado Cash is "only used by criminals," show them this. Fucking proud to be part of the regenesis of TheDAO. LFG.

[sudo rm -rf --no-preserve-root / @pcaversaccio]

we just deposited 69,420 ETH into the Ethereum Beacon deposit contract, and guess what, executed straight from my Tornado Cash address. That means every future withdrawal and grant tx is now beautifully, irrevocably tainted. This is a fucking awesome precedent for a good use of Tornado Cash. Today is a good day for privacy and security! Long Live Tornado Cash, Long Live Security, Long Live Privacy and Long Live TheDAO!

PS: given the validator queue, we only need to wait 70 days now, lol

[Roman Storm 🇺🇸 🌪️ @rstormsf]

They argued that writing code is a crime. They compared privacy tools to money laundering.

But we know the truth: Privacy is a human right. Math is not a crime.

The fight for my freedom - and for the future of open-source software - is at a critical moment. I need your voice to show the world that this community stands together.

Please, take 5 minutes to write a letter of support. Your words are the most powerful tool we have left.

https://t.co/jaYqkBYfOj

The fight is not over yet.

[vitalik.eth @VitalikButerin]

@rstormsf Done. Re-posting the contents for public consumption:

[Free Alex Pertsev @Free__Alexey]

T-shirts with a message can go on to have long lives and pop up in unexpected places!

Summer 2026 will four years after the beginning of the legal nightmare for Alexey, thanks for every contribution to keep these drawn-out proceedings in the spotlight.

[Anton Bukov (e/acc)🦇🔊 @k06a]

@dimabuterin @post_polar_ Is it @alex_pertsev on the t-shirt? 👀

[Alexey Pertsev @alex_pertsev]

I’m beyond grateful 🙏 to @KeyringNetwork for donating their protocol fees to cover legal expenses.

@ethereumfndn is also coordinating support and standing with me.

We still have a long way to go in this appeal as the Court has decided that an additional investigation has to be done.
We keep working towards justice and your help is invaluable to #CodeWithoutFear

[Alexey Pertsev @alex_pertsev]

No more ankle monitor! 🎉

I’m still grounded in the Netherlands and can’t work or travel yet, but freedom starts with small steps , like finally being able to go to the sauna again.

Grateful for this progress 😌

[Alexey Pertsev @alex_pertsev]

Thank you @SolanaPolicy for the your support! Your donation gives us hope for justice — and for a safer future for all developers #CodeWithoutFear

[Solana Policy Institute @SolanaInstitute]

1/ 📰NEWS: Solana Policy Institute is donating $500,000 to the legal defense funds of @rstormsf and @alex_pertsev - two software developers who worked on @TornadoCash, a cryptocurrency privacy protocol, and now face prison time.

[Solana @solana]

SPI has donated $500,000 to the legal defense of Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, the developers of Tornado Cash.

Writing code is not a crime.

[Ethereum @ethereum]

Tornado Cash (@TornadoCash) is a decentralized privacy protocol using zero-knowledge proofs to break the onchain link between sender and receiver.

It is designed to provide privacy on a public blockchain.

Ethereum is for privacy.

[Free Alex Pertsev @Free__Alexey]

Reminder: @alex_pertsev ’s arrest was 3 years and 3 days ago.

Three years spent in prison or with heavily restricted movement.

The legal battle in The Netherlands is still ongoing, just like @rstormsf ’s in the US.

https://t.co/I3LX0hF0XZ

[prestonvanloon.eth @preston_vanloon]

I stand with @rstormsf, @semenov_roman_, and @alex_pertsev.

Writing open source code is not a crime.
Online financial privacy is not a crime.
Creating permissionless software is not a crime.

[Free Pertsev & Storm @FreeAlexeyRoman]

The @ethereumfndn has generously offered to match up to $500k in further donations to support Roman's legal aid.

Roman risks up to 5 years of jail time if he doesn't win the appeal, and potentially decades if the government decides to retry Counts 1 & 3.

[Eleanor Terrett @EleanorTerrett]

🚨NEW: Just caught @rstormsf outside the courtroom. I asked how he was feeling. In a quiet voice, but with a noticeable smile, he told me:

“It’s a big win. The ‘1960’ charge is bullshit and we’re going to fight it all the way. You know how President Trump said ‘fight, fight, fight’? We’ll do that too.”

He expressed relief at not being remanded to jail and mentioned his 5-year-old daughter as one of the reasons he plans to keep fighting the one charge he was convicted on.

He said he’s heading back to Seattle tomorrow.

[The Rage @theragetech]

🚨Jury also not unanimous on count 3. Government will get back to the court whether it will retry the money laundering and sanctions evasion charges.

[Jake Chervinsky @jchervinsky]

@TrustlessState It's good on sanctions and money laundering, but a travesty of justice on Section 1960. This is the key issue we've been fighting about all along, that the developer of a non-custodial protocol is not (and cannot be) engaged in money transmission. The appeal will be critical.

[Peter Van Valkenburgh @valkenburgh]

So it sounds like no verdict on money laundering (gov't could possibly re-prosecute). Guilty on conspiracy to transmit money, and not guilty on conspiracy to evade sanctions.

Happy about 1 and 3. The money transmission charge was inappropriate from the start and the way the legal rulings went down last winter may have doomed the outcome with a jury that can only find facts. This needs to be appealed, and Coin Center will do everything to make sure the judge gets the law right the next time around.