Russian developer of crypto mixer Tornado Cash, Alex Pertsev, finally released after several months of preventive detention in the Netherlands for facilitating money laundering. He will be under house arrest until his trial scheduled for next month.
Alex Pertsev, released by decision of the Dutch court
As the lawsuits multiply to defend the customers of the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, a ray of hope emerges for the former developer, Alex Pertsev. Indeed, after nine months of detention without trial, the court of the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands finally decided to release Pertsev on 26 April next.
However, authorities placed him under house arrest, requiring him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and installing surveillance cameras at his home.
Despite everything, his family and friends welcomed the news of his release with joy. Indeed, Pertsev’s wife, Ksenia Malik, told The Block : “ I am happy to confirm that Alex will be home on April 26, his birthday, with an ankle monitor. But at home. »
Last August, the FIOD Tax Information and Investigation Service, a Dutch agency responsible for tracking financial crimes, ordered the arrest of Alex Pertsev in Amsterdam.
This arrest took place just two days after the US government blacklisted Tornado Cash and 44 wallets. According to US authorities, the mixer would have allowed hackers to launder around 7 billion dollars.
Released without bail, Alex Pertsev remains under surveillance
The court had kept Pertsev in custody despite his repeated requests for release, fearing he was on the run or tampering with evidence. The prosecutor’s recent charges against Pertsev relate to the alleged criminal money laundering of more than 500,000 ETH. However, Pertsev denied the allegations against him.
Bitcoin developer Sjors Provoost attended Thursday’s hearing. He reported on Twitter that nothing new had been revealed, and that ” Pertsev claimed to have done everything possible to prevent criminal abuse within the confines of a decentralized system “.
The trial will take place on May 24, during which the court will consider Pertsev’s residency status, which expires in July this year. After months of struggling for its release, the developer of Tornado Cash finally sees the end of the tunnel. In any case, his perseverance finally paid off.
Receive a digest of news in the world of cryptocurrencies by subscribing to our new service of daily and weekly so you don’t miss any of the essential Tremplin.io!
