Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone, known as “Fede’s Intern” on X, confirmed that he is “safe and free” after Turkish authorities detained him for 24 hours. Officials accused him of aiding the “misuse” of an Ethereum privacy protocol.
“I’m finally out, safe and free. There was a small moment were things looked very bad but thanks to help from many I got released,”
Carrone posted on X on Monday.
Carrone said Turkey’s Minister of Internal Affairs accused him of “helping others misuse Ethereum” in alleged connection with a privacy protocol. He believes the matter is related to a January 2022 research paper analyzing user privacy on Ethereum and Tornado Cash.
“We never helped anyone engage in illegal activity, it was purely research on mixers and their properties,”
he stated. The paper, which Carrone co-authored, examined the privacy features of blockchain mixers without engaging in operational activity.
Research Paper and Tornado Cash Link
The privacy-focused research paper Carrone referred to remains public and details how mixers like Tornado Cash function in enhancing transaction privacy. He said his work was intended to study blockchain privacy mechanisms and assess their effectiveness.
Tornado Cash has been at the center of multiple legal actions in different jurisdictions. Its co-creators, Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, have faced prosecution in high-profile cases, with Storm currently awaiting a verdict in New York.
The outcome of Storm’s case may shape how authorities treat open-source privacy tools under the law, especially in the United States. Regulatory agencies have increased enforcement actions against blockchain privacy infrastructure, targeting developers and projects connected to these tools. Carrone’s detention fits into this broader pattern of legal scrutiny over developers working on open-source protocols, particularly when authorities link those protocols to illicit activity.
International Assistance Secured Carrone’s Release
Carrone explained that his detention initially appeared serious. Authorities informed him that he could be stripped of his phone and denied contact with anyone.
He credited friends and contacts from the UAE, UK, US, Europe, Argentina, and even members of the Catholic Church for intervening. Several individuals reached out to senior Turkish officials to request his release.
Members of the Solana ecosystem also provided contacts and offered assistance.
“I will never forget their help and hope to one day give back to everyone who supported me,”
he said.
Carrone has since left Turkey and is currently in Europe, but he confirmed that his Turkish attorney continues to work on the case.
Ongoing Legal Case and Possible Return to Turkey
The case against Carrone remains open.
“We still don’t have the full picture of what happened or why it happened, but we will bring in the best team we can and resolve this,”
he said.
Carrone stated that once the situation is resolved, he will return to Turkey to “clear my name and defend ourselves.” He explained that the defense will focus on separating academic research from any operational involvement in privacy protocols. He emphasized that others might have misused these protocols, but his work remained within the scope of research.
Carrone Donates $500,000 in Ether to Legal Defense Fund
On Tuesday, Carrone announced that he had donated $500,000 worth of Ether (ETH) to support Roman Storm’s legal defense. At the time, Ether traded at $4,277.
“Roman’s legal defense matters because builders everywhere need to know they can push innovation forward and that the community will stand behind them when they do,”
Carrone said.
The donation underscores the shared concerns among developers working on privacy tools and open-source blockchain software about potential criminal liability in multiple jurisdictions.
