Ethereum Founder Urges Privacy Protection in Crypto Amid Money Laundering Sentencing

• Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin supports privacy tools after Tornado Cash developer sentenced for money laundering.
• Dutch court finds Alexey Pertsev guilty of laundering $1.2 billion using Tornado Cash.
• Regulatory scrutiny on crypto mixers like Tornado Cash due to use by criminal groups.
• Department of the Treasury bans Americans from using Tornado Cash in 2022.
• Buterin advises decentralizing security and supports next-gen privacy tools like Railgun and 0xbow.
• Buterin advocates for zero-knowledge proof privacy options to protect users from criminal addresses.

Summary :
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin expressed his disappointment over the sentencing of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev to 64 months in prison for money laundering. Buterin emphasized the importance of privacy-centric crypto tools and encouraged the development of "next-gen" solutions. The Dutch court ruled that Pertsev was guilty of money laundering due to the use of the software he coded. This ruling raises concerns for Roman Storm, the co-founder of Tornado Cash, who is awaiting trial in the US for similar charges. Buterin also highlighted the significance of privacy in the industry and applauded efforts to maintain it. He previously advocated for privacy options that generate zero-knowledge proofs to verify user addresses. Buterin supports initiatives like Railgun and 0xbow that utilize this system. He hopes that the ecosystem continues to prioritize privacy and that governments recognize its value.

Sources :

- Decrypt