Tornado Cash Founder Indicted For Aiding Laundered $1.2B Funds: Report
Highlights
- Tornado Cash founder Alexey Pertsev has been indicted for aiding the laundering of $1.2 billion
- Pertsev was arrest over claims that Tornado Cash featured in money scams
- The Tornado Cash protocol has been sanctioned in the US
Alexey Pertsev, the developer behind the popular Tornado Cash crypto mixer is facing an indictment for his alleged involvement in laundering up to $1.2 billion in crypto assets. This news is based on reports from DL News.
Alexey Pertsev Indicted for 36 Illicit Crimes
The Tornado Cash developer is becoming more popular for crypto crime than for the service that his company is designed to offer. Dutch prosecutors have been on his trail over some investigations that involved 36 allegedly illicit transactions. Of the listed cases, the 175 ETH from Axie Infinity-linked crypto protocol Ronin Bridge, was the highest.
Other illicit transactions on the Dutch prosecutors’ list involved decentralized protocols like Harmony and Nomad Bridge.
According to Pertsev’s lawyer Keith Cheng, “Prosecutors are suspecting Pertsev of money laundering and they have described it in a general way, but they don’t specify which exact acts he has committed to take part in the criminal offence.”
Meanwhile, the Dutch authorities made it clear that the Tornado Cash developer has made it a habit to be involved in money laundering crimes. This claim might have some veracity to it, considering how Pertsev was arrested in August 2022 by the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) of the Netherlands over the alleged laundering of $7 billion in cryptocurrencies.
US OFAC Sanctions Tornado Cash
Before Pertsev’s arrest, the crypto mixer was sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Treasury Department for cleaning dirty money running into several billions. One of the organizations accused of utilizing Tornado Cash is a popular North Korean Lazarus hacking group.
At the time, the Tornado Cash developer was arrested but later granted bail and released.
It wasn’t until August last year that he was arrested again for money laundering charges this time around. The arrest was orchestrated this time by the FBI. This was around the time when crypto digital detective ZachXBT claimed to have been monitoring a suspicious wallet since the beginning of 2023 with a link to Tornado Cash.
In Pertsev’s current trial, he has vehemently denied his involvement in money laundering or a violation of money laundering securities claims since his initial arrest in 2022.
Pertsev’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 26 in the Dutch city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
- Breaking: Ripple Partners With Bahrain’s Fintech Bay in Push for RLUSD Adoption
- XRP News: Why Whales Sold 440M Coins in a Month Despite ETF Launch Buzz
- Just In: DeFi Dev Corp Launches Japan’s First Solana Treasury Company, SOL Price Reacts
- Pi Network Mainnet to Get Major Upgrade in Q4, Says Expert
- Bitwise Solana ETF to Launch This Week as It Amends Staking, Fees? Bloomberg Weighs In
- Bitcoin Price Prediction as US Govt. Shutdown Extends- What’s Next for BTC?
- Solana Price Megaphone Points to a Parabolic Move as SOL Treasuries Near $3B
- XRP Price Prediction Amid ETF Approval Roadblock as Analyst Warns of $2.72 Dip
- Binance Coin Price Prediction If It Surpasses Bitcoin Marketcap— Is $3000 Possible in 2025?
- ASTER vs HYPE Price Analysis – Which Perp DEX Token Looks Poised to Dominate Q4 Performance?
- Ethereum Price Could Soar to $6,500 as BlackRock’s ETF Nears $20B Milestone
Why Trust CoinGape
CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more…to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.
