Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev is officially out of prison, after being in pre-trial detention for the last three years. Pertsev posted on X confirming that he is out of prison, instead serving electronic monitoring until his trial.

“Freedom is priceless, but my freedom cost a lot of money,” Pertsev posted on X. “My house arrest was only possible thanks to the work of lawyers, who were paid from your donations. My fight is not over yet and for a final and confident victory, I still need your help. Please support our fight here.” Pertsev is in the process of appealing his $1 billion money laundering conviction related to Tornado Cash. He received a five-year prison sentence from a Dutch court last May for money laundering in connection with Tornado Cash.

Tornado Cash’s Alexey Pertsev Released Until Trial

Pertsev initiated an appeal of his conviction after a U.S. federal appeals court found last November that sanctions against Tornado Cash were unlawful. For months, the developer had petitioned a Dutch court to grant him bail, with little success. On X, Pertsev writes that returning home gives him “a chance to work on my appeal and fight for justice.”

“It is not real freedom, but it is better than prison.”

“With his release, we can now fully engage in his defense and prepare for the appeal under more equitable conditions,” Judith de Boer, Pertsev’s appeals lawyer says.

Also Read: SEC Acknowledgement Has Litecoin ETF Inching Toward Approval

In a new turn of events, the crypto-mixing protocol was seen slowly moving out of the shackles of law enforcement. According to a court document published on January 21, the US District Court for the Western District of Texas revoked the OFAC’s penalties on Tornado Cash. The filing read: “It is ordered and adjudged that the judgment of the district court is reversed, and the cause is remanded to the district court for further proceedings in accordance with the opinion of this court.”

Tornado Cash co-founders, Roman Storm, and Roman Semenov were arrested on charges of laundering over $1 billion as well as sanction violations. In 2023, Storm was released on bail.

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