The Ethereum Foundation has announced a $1.25 million donation to support the legal defense of Alexey Pertsev, the developer behind Tornado Cash, a blockchain privacy protocol. Pertsev was convicted on money-laundering charges in the Netherlands last year, involving $1.2 billion in illicit assets, and sentenced to 64 months in prison. He is currently appealing his sentence while under house arrest. The Tornado Cash platform, which enables users to conduct anonymous cryptocurrency transactions, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022, citing its use by criminals, including North Korean-sponsored actors. A Dutch court ruled that the platform was 'intended for criminals.' Pertsev's case has raised concerns about the criminal liability of developers writing open-source code. The Ethereum Foundation emphasized that 'privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime,' and Pertsev expressed gratitude for the donation, stating it would allow him to focus on his appeal. The case has also drawn support from organizations like Coinbase, which filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury, challenging the sanctions on Tornado Cash.