Tornado Cash Developer Faces 64-Month Prison Term, Dutch Prosecutors Urge

Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev has gained attention during a heated trial in the Netherlands, where prosecutors are calling for a lengthy prison term.

Prosecutors asked the judge in the ‘S-Hertogenbosch court to sentence Pertsev to 64 months in prison for his suspected role in money laundering throughout the trial.

Implications and Verdict Date

The outcome of this trial may set a precedent for how developers are treated in similar cases globally. The judge is scheduled to announce the verdict on May 14, according to court sources.

Pertsev faces accusations of laundering a staggering $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency through the Tornado Cash platform. The Dutch prosecutors revealed details from the indictment, alleging that Pertsev engaged in money laundering activities between July 9, 2019, and Aug. 10, 2022.

Pertsev’s legal woes began in August 2022 when he was initially detained in the Netherlands, coinciding with the blacklisting of Tornado Cash by the U.S. Treasury. The Treasury Department’s action stemmed from allegations that the platform facilitated illicit activities, including aiding the Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking syndicate responsible for the $625 million hack of Axie Infinity’s Ronin Network.

Notably, Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Roman Semenov are also embroiled in legal troubles. Storm is slated to stand trial in September in the United States, while Semenov remains at large, with no arrests made by U.S. authorities yet.